Event of the Day: Liverpool versus Bayern Munich
Our event of the day is the enticing first leg in the Champions League round of 16 tie between Liverpool and Bayern Munich at Anfield. Liverpool will be without their first-choice centre back pairing of Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk, as Gomez continues his rehabilitation and van Dijk serves a one game suspension. However, their opponents have a notable absentee of their own, as Thomas Müller will miss out on the game after he picked up a red card in their final group game against Ajax. Even though both sides will be missing key players, the game still promises to be a European tie for the ages. The race for qualification from Group C went down to the wire this term, but Liverpool eventually booked their place in the last-16 with a 1-0 win over Napoli in the group’s curtain-closer at Anfield. Though they made hard work of the group stages, Liverpool have already secured a famous scalp on Europe’s grandest stage this term, having beaten PSG in the opening game of the campaign. Jürgen Klopp will be hoping for another notable victory in tonight’s tie as they look to gain an advantage in this two-legged affair. The game will come as a much-needed distraction from the Premier League title race, with Liverpool managing just one win in their last three league outings.
Meanwhile, Bayern Munich are in a rich vein of form just now and have won their last nine games in all competitions. The last game the German giants failed to win was their final group game against Ajax, which ended 3-3 after a thrilling contest. Ultimately, however, Bayern made light work of Group E, winning four and drawing two of their group games, meaning they are one of just three unbeaten teams left in the tournament. Klopp’s men will be wary of the fact that Bayern are notoriously difficult to beat on their home soil and will be desperate to get a lead in the tie in front of a jam-packed Anfield tonight. Munich’s last win over Liverpool came all the way back in 1971, which remains their only win over the Reds in their illustrious history and they will be looking to amend that unwanted record tonight. It should be a thrilling night of European football.
Honourable mentions around the globe goes to the Rio Open in the tennis where Day 2 will get underway on the clay courts of the Jockey Club Brasileiro in Rio de Janeiro. The Round of 32 will continue today with some of the world’s greatest talents battling it out for a place in the last-16, including Dominic Thiem, who faces world number 90 Laslo Đere. Elsewhere, Barcelona will also continue their bid to notch a sixth Champions League title as they travel to face Lyon in the first leg of their round of 16 tie. There is more football back in England today as Queens Park Rangers welcome promotion candidates West Bromwich Albion to Loftus Park in the EFL Championship. The T20 World Cup Qualifiers continue today in women’s cricket, as China face Hong Kong in the fifth match, whilst Kuwait will do battle with the United Arab Emirates in match six. Finally, the St. Louis Blues will host the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Scottrade Center as the Blues look to notch their 11th straight win in the NHL.
Whatever you’re watching, enjoy!
Photos by Liverpool; Champions League