A score draw against Bayern Munich tonight would be enough to get Liverpool through to the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals, joining their Premier League brethren Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur.
However, City boss Pep Guardiola is not showing country comradeship and pulling for Liverpool. Instead he’s backing the Reds’ opponents, the club that he led to so much glory from 2013-2016.
Liverpool FC at Bayern Munich UEFA Champions League Round of 16 (Aggregate 0-0) FYIs
Kickoff is Wednesday, March 13, 8PM local, at the local Allianz Arena. Your best bet of the day is to back Bayern in this one, as Betfair handicap a Liverpool win at 4/5 while odds for Bayern Munich to triumph are set at 10/11.
Google Result Probability: Bayern Munich win 45% Draw 27% Liverpool win 28%
Liverpool Starting XI prediction: go to this link
Injury Report for both teams: go to this link
“I’m sorry for the English people but I want Bayern to go through,” the Spaniard said in his post match news conference after his side absolutely shellacked Schalke 7-0 last night.
“I love Munich, I love Bayern. I have a lot of friends there. It’s a demanding game for both but I feel I like Bayern Munich and hopefully they can go through.”
Poor Jurgen Klopp, already feeling the pressure of the Premier League title race, now key figures representing his main rivals want his side to be eliminated from the UCL. Gary Neville, United club legend and current pundit, said on his podcast that he thinks Liverpool are best served by crashing out of Europe.
Guardiola finished with a record of 82 wins, 11 draws, and nine losses when he managed in the Bundesliga. He also achieved a record of 23 wins, five draws, and eight losses in the UEFA Champions League during his time leading the Bavarian juggernauts.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, regularly appears as a guest pundit on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
He also contributes sociopolitical essays to Chicago Now. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram. The content of his cat’s Instagram account is unquestionably superior to his.