Bayern Munich and Sevilla will battle for a spot in the Champions League semi-finals when they clash in their second-leg encounter on Wednesday evening, writes DEAN WORKMAN.
In what was the tightest result of the first-leg round of the quarter-finals, Bayern beat a spirited Sevilla side 2-1 at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán. The home side opened the scoring through Pablo Sarabi, but the scores were soon level after a Jesus Navas own-goal gifted Jupp Heynekes’ team an equaliser. Bayern then hit the front through a Thiago Alcantara goal, the Germans winning 2-1 and taking two important away goals back to the Allianz Arena.
Bayern have again dominated the Bundesliga the season as they secured their sixth straight league title with victory over FC Augsburg. The Bavarians are an astonishing twenty points ahead of their nearest rival Schalke and they are in the semi-finals of the DFB-Pokal [German Cup].
Sevillistas Los Rojiblancos have endured a difficult league campaign as they sit in seventh position in La Liga, thirty-three points behind leaders Barcelona. They have, however, thrived in the cup competitions this season. They are through to the Copa del Rey final, where they face Barcelona, and they have passed all expectations with their run in the Champions League.
Bayern may hold all the cards after scoring the two away goals, as the Spanish side know they will need to score a minimum of two goals in Germany. But Sevilla will not be writing themselves off as they will draw on their famous 2-1 victory against Manchester United at Old Trafford in the previous round for inspiration.
After watching Roma provide a shock result against Barcelona last night, Sevilla will be dreaming of another special Champions League evening. Bayern are certainly favourites to progress, given their pedigree and experience, but they are by no means guaranteed a result as Vincenzo Montella’s side look to continue their fairytale journey in the competition.
Follow Dean Workman on Twitter: @DeanoWorks