At 4:00 AM China Time on November 7, in the fourth round of the first stage of the 24/25 Champions League season, Bayern Munich will host Benfica.
After failing to win any titles last season, Bayern Munich appointed Vincent Kompany, who has no experience managing top-tier clubs, leading to considerable skepticism. During the summer transfer window, Bayern invested heavily to strengthen their midfield defense and interception capabilities by signing Palhinha, and also spent 53 million euros to bring Ollise from Crystal Palace and 23 million euros to sign Japanese international Ito Yukihiro.
Meanwhile, Bayern sold De Ligt for 45 million euros, Mazraoui for 15 million euros, and 22-year-old Thillmann for 12 million euros, reshaping their squad. In the Bundesliga, Bayern has performed well, maintaining an unbeaten record with 7 wins and 2 draws after 9 rounds, accumulating 23 points to lead the table, 3 points ahead of RB Leipzig.
However, in the Champions League, Bayern faces much greater challenges. Although they thrashed Dinamo Zagreb 9-2 in the first match, they were defeated 0-1 by Villa and suffered a 1-4 loss to their old rival Barcelona in the away game, highlighting the gap between them and the top teams.
Benfica also made significant transfers this season, bringing in new players such as Akturkoglu, Pavlidis, Roese, Best, and Alvaro Fernandez, with total spending exceeding 50 million euros, which is considerable in the Portuguese league. After 9 rounds in the Portuguese league, Benfica has 7 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss, accumulating 22 points, which is not bad. However, they still trail behind the undefeated Sporting Lisbon and Porto, who have won 9 out of 10 matches.
In the Champions League, Benfica won their first two matches, particularly surprising fans with a 4-0 home victory over Atletico Madrid. However, they were dealt a blow in the last match, losing 1-3 to Feyenoord at home.
Both teams are known for their offensive prowess. Bayern has scored 32 goals in 9 Bundesliga matches, averaging 3.5 goals per game, with Kane scoring 17 goals in 14 appearances across all competitions. Benfica has also been prolific, scoring 24 goals in 9 Portuguese league matches, averaging 2.6 goals per game, with Akturkoglu, Pavlidis, Di Maria, and Best all performing well.
Bayern’s home form is unquestionable, with 4 wins and 1 draw in their first 5 home matches this season, scoring 19 goals and conceding only 3, including a 9-2 thrashing of Dinamo Zagreb. Benfica’s away performance is also solid, with 4 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss in their first 6 away matches this season, and they have won their last 4 away games.
Bayern and Benfica have faced each other multiple times in the Champions League, meeting 12 times in total, with Bayern winning 9 and drawing 3, remaining unbeaten. Since their first encounter in March 1976, Bayern has never lost to Benfica, scoring 35 goals and conceding only 9, keeping a clean sheet in 5 matches. The most recent meetings were in the group stage of the 21/22 season, where Bayern won both matches, 4-0 away and 5-2 at home.
Overall, Bayern holds a significant psychological advantage over Benfica. Can they leverage their home advantage to secure all three points? We will have to wait and see.
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