Bank on Bayern Munich to sink the Yellow Submarine in Spain this evening
An intriguing Champions League clash takes part in Spain this evening when Villarreal host Bayern Munich, and while Die Roten will start the match as favourites, the hosts have never lost to German opposition at the Camp El Madrigal.
These sides feature in the ‘group of death’, with Manchester City and Napoli making up the quartet of sides, and neither Villarreal nor Bayern will be happy with a draw tonight.
Personally, I’m a big fan of Bayern, and though they will be without Arjen Robben, who could be sidelined for a month, the Dutchman’s absence hasn’t prevented Jupp Heynckes’ side battering their last two rivals in Bundesliga fixtures, including a 7-0 thrashing of Freiburg at the weekend.
The Yellow Submarine were given a hiding by Barcelona at the Camp Nou in their opening La Liga match, but earned a creditable draw at home against Sevilla subsequently. Their record against German opposition, allied with the fact that have managed to win just four of their previous 17 European matches in Spain, will give the home fans cause for optimism.
I can’t help thinking, however, that the momentum the Bavarians have going into this encounter will be sufficient to see them collect all three points. The form of Mario Gomez – he has scored seven times in Bayern’s last three matches – is a major plus, while Franck Ribery has also looked very sharp. I feel that the German side will have too much firepower for Villarreal, and the 2.25 on offer with Stan James and Ladbrokes about an away win is the call.