Manchester City vs Bayern Munich verdict, predicted score, key stats and suggested bets

Champions League quarter-final first leg, Tuesday, April 11th, Kick-off 8pm, live on BT Sport

Bayern Munich to score first

Over 2.5 goals

First Man City goalscorer - Erling Haaland

Bayern Munich have lost one of their last 30 away Champions League games.

Twenty-two of Man City's last 30 home Champions League games have featured three or more goals.

Man City have gone 1-0 down in both Champions League home fixtures in which they have conceded.

Bayern Munich have opened the scoring in 11 of their last 12 in all competitions.

CL: Man City 3-2 Bayern, November 2014

CL: Bayern 1-0 Man City, September 2014

CL: Bayern 2-3 Man City, December 2013

CL: Man City 1-3 Bayern, October 2013

CL: Man City 2-0 Bayern, December 2011

CL: Bayern 2-0 Man City, September 2011

Erling Haaland scored on his return to the team against Southampton at the weekend and he came through that game unscathed. Phil Foden is absent as he recovers from appendix surgery.

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting is set to miss out with a knee injury meaning Serge Gnabry could reprise his role as Bayern's most advanced player unless Thomas Tuchel opts to use Thomas Muller from the start.

Bayern will otherwise have a full complement of players to pick from but it remains to be seen if City will come up against an old foe in Sadio Mane. He may have to settle for a spot on the bench owing to his poor domestic form.

Man City have finally clicked into gear with nine straight victories.

Bayern have alternated between winning and losing in their last five games.

Man City have won all four of their home Champions League games, scoring 17 goals.

Bayern Munich have won all eight Champions League games they've played in 2022/23.

Pep Guardiola has spoken about April and May being the months of the season he enjoys most: "September, October, November I enjoy less. When we arrive in the last stages, fighting for the title, I'm the happiest man in the world."

Thomas Tuchel has described Bayern Munich's upcoming schedule as "the weeks of truth" for his side. He said, "April and May is an important time for FC Bayern when there are titles to be won."

Since the 2019/2020 season, Manchester City have reached the quarter-finals, final and semi-finals of the Champions League, being defeated by fellow English side Chelsea in the showpiece game in 2021.

Last year's semi-final elimination at the hands of Real Madrid was one of the more remarkable moments in Champions League history. City led 5-3 on aggregate in the 90th minute only to lose 6-5.

They'll have to be at their best to topple a Bayern Munich side that have managed to avoid defeat in 29 of their last 30 Champions League away games. They've won the majority and a positive result would make life tough for City in Bavaria.

City have hit top gear, winning their last nine games and scoring 31 goals in the process. Erling Haaland has 12 of those and he's no stranger to being a threat to Bayern, with six goal involvements in seven meetings with Bayern Munich as a player.

Matthijs de Ligt will have the task of keeping Haaland quiet but you suspect City's slick ball movement will threaten the Bayern backline in wide areas at some stage and half a yard is all he needs.

Another key battle is which team will have the better opening 20 minutes. The Etihad will be buoyant at kick-off and whilst City may dominate possession in the early stages, Bayern have the experience to manage the situation and provide a threat on the counter.

Pep Guardiola's men have taken time to grow into games this season and when teams have scored at the Etihad, they've often opened the scoring. Sevilla and Borussia Dortmund both took the lead here before going on to lose.

Goals from Mohamed Salah, Dejan Kulusevski, Ivan Toney and a John Stones own-goal have also caused City to fall behind at home this season and it's something Bayern will be aware they can exploit. They've scored first in 11 of their last 12 games.

Even if the Germans do open the scoring, Man City have the quality to bounce back. They've won the last four Champions League games in which they've fallen behind at the Etihad and you suspect they'll put Bayern under pressure and make them pay at some stage.