Manchester City vs Bayern Munich: Looking back at their previous meeting
Ahead of their mouth-watering Champions League clash, we take a look at the line-ups from the last game between City and Bayern.
Manchester City were drawn against Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, nine seasons on from the last meeting between the current English and German champions.
Ahead of the draw, City and Bayern were cited as two of the favourites to win this year’s competition and both will have been dismayed to see themselves drawn against the other. Not only is there little to choose between the two squads now, but their six previous meetings have also been incredibly close.
Each side has won three of the six matches; in that time Bayern have scored ten goals to City’s nine. All six previous meetings have been in the group stages of the Champions League and came in a four-year spell from 2011 to 2014.
This time around, the stakes are a little higher.
Manchester City vs Bayern Munich: Lineups from their previous meeting
With both clubs firmly within the elite there is a constant pressure to improve and bring in new quality to the squads. As such, it is little surprise to see that both teams look completely different to the last time that they met.
Their last meeting on 25 November 2014 Manuel Pellegrini’s City boasted the likes of Vincent Kompany and Sergio Aguero, two stalwarts of the club’s rises to prominence. Also in the starting XI that day were Frank Lampard and James Milner, the latter already aged 28.
Manchester City starting XI: Joe Hart; Gael Clichy, Eliaquim Mangala, Vincent Kompany, Bacary Sagna; Samir Nasri, James Milner, Fernando, Frank Lampard, Jesus Navas; Sergio Aguero
In the Bayern dugout was Pep Guardiola, who was in the middle of his second season with the Bavarians. He was able to name the iconic front three of Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery and Robert Lewandowski, the last of whom only left the club last summer.
However there are other members of the squad that day who are still with the club. Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer started in goal and would still be in the team, were it not for a skiing injury last December that saw him ruled out for the rest of the season. Thomas Muller was an unused substitute that day.
Bayern Munich starting XI: Manuel Neuer; Juan Bernat, Jerome Boateng, Medhi Benatia, Rafinha; Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Xabi Alonso, Sebastian Rode; Franck Ribery, Robert Lewandowski, Arjen Robben
City secured a thrilling 3-2 win in their last meeting, thanks to a late Sergio Aguero strike to complete his hat-trick. Eight seasons on, can Erling Haaland conjure up a repeat this year?