?Bayern Munich thumped a ten man Besiktas 5-0 in the first leg of this Champions League tie to give the German side one foot firmly in the quarter-finals. 

Braces from Thomas Muller and Robert Lewandowski, and an effort from Kinsley Coman, have given Bayern a distinct advantage heading into the second leg in Instanbul. 

Providing there are no Paris Saint-Germain vs. Barcelona levels of capitulation, Bayern look set to reach the competition’s quarter finals for the seventh year running. 

Here’s the rundown of Wednesday’s second leg.


Recent Form

Besiktas remain in the race for the Turkish Super Lig title as the Black Eagles currently sit in second place and three points behind Galatasaray.

Since their 5-0 drubbing at the hands of Bayern, Besiktas have won three matches out of four, including a convincing 3-1 win in the league over rivals Fenerbahce. Ryan Babel and Ricardo Quaresma could be ones to watch on Wednesday as the pair have both bagged braces in recent weeks. 

Meanwhile its been business as usual for Bayern, who are currently enjoying a run of 17 matches without defeat. A 0-0 draw with Hertha Berlin has been the only blip in an otherwise perfect run as the Bavarians sit 20 points clear at the top of the Bundesliga. 

In their last two matches, Bayern have scored 10 goals. Jupp Heynckes’ men are in great goal-scoring form and will not take this second-leg lightly. 


Key Battle

Thomas Muller vs Gary Medel

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With Domagoj Vida suspended and Pepe injured, Besiktas could be forced to field a makeshift defence on Wednesday. This could involve calling upon defensive midfielder Gary Medel to put in a shift in the centre of defence. 

The diminutive Chilean is not one to back out of a tackle and certainly will not give any of these Bayern players an easy ride. 

Thomas Muller scored a brace in the first leg of this tie and will look to do more of the same as the German nears 100 Champions League appearances. In 96 games in the competition, Muller has 42 goals. Always a reliable player for Bayern, he could be the one to help guide the club to more European glory this season.  


Team News

Domagoj Vida was the player dismissed for Besiktas in the first leg and so will be unavailable on Wednesday due to suspension. Pepe is sidelined with a toe fracture, and Gokhan Tore is also unavailable through injury. 

?Bayern have confirmed that Corentin Tolisso suffered severe bruising to his ankle in the win against Hamburg and so may not be risked for Wednesday’s tie. Manuel Neuer remains ruled out, as does Kingsley Coman with a ligament tear.  

Tolisso, Joshua Kimmich, Sebastian Rudy, and Robert Lewandowski are all a booking away from a suspension. With the tie all but confirmed, Jupp Heynckes may opt to rotate his side to prevent any key players from getting a ban. 

Potential Besiktas Starting Lineup: Fabri; Gonul, Medel, Tosic, Adriano; Hutchinson, Arslan; Quaresma, Ozyakup, Babel; Negredo

Potential Bayern Starting Lineup: Ulreich; Rafinha, Boateng, Hummels, Alaba; Thiago, Martinez, Vidal; Robben, Wagner, Muller


Prediction

It’s going to take some doing for Besiktas to overturn this five goal deficit. With the absence of their defensive duo of Pepe and Vida, the Turkish side’s challenge has been made even more difficult. 

Bayern will already have one eye on the next round, and could field a heavily changed side from the one that came out in the first leg. But they won’t let themselves take their foot off the pedal as their unbeaten run looks sure to continue. 

Prediction: Besiktas 1-3 Bayern Munich

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