When Manchester City thrashed Bayern Munich, 3-0, in the first leg of the two sides’ UCL quarterfinal tie, the Leroy Sane-Sadio Mane fisticuffs stole the headlines.
Yes, we had a post match kerfuffle, in the Bayern dressing room, between two former Premier League big six club wingers whose names are very similar and happen to rhyme.
Manchester City vs Bayern Munich FYIs
Competition: UCL Quarterfinals Leg 2/2, City leads 3-0 on aggregate
Kickoff: Wed. April 19, 8pm, Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany
Manchester City Team News: go here
Starting XI Predictions for Both Sides: go here
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
90 Min Win Probability: Bayern Munich 35% Extra Time 25% Manchester City 40%
Mane punched Sane in the mouth, leaving the former City man with split lip. Sadio Mane was officially suspended by the club for one match- the score draw with Hoffenheim 1899 in Bundesliga play.
Sane, who played in that match with a noticeable bruise from the brouhaha, was fined by the club over his role in the altercation. Neither one is expected to miss out on the midweek clash.
“Sadio Mane will be in the squad on Wednesday,” Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel confirmed.
“He has already shown his reaction. It’s over, he’s apologized. It’s not an issue anymore. He trained with us in the week and he’ll be in training on Sunday.”
Rest of the Team News for Bayern
Bayern have no new injury concerns, with goalkeeper extraordinaire Manuel Neuer being out for the season, due to a long term injury. Ditto for Frenchman defender Lucas Hernandez.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
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