FC Bayern Munich will head into the Champions League Round of 16 return match against Bayer Leverkusen without any new injury concerns. Aside from Manuel Neuer and Aleksandar Pavlovic, the entire squad participated in the final training session before the departure of the German football record champions for the match on Tuesday at 21:00 (Prime Video). The squad was supplemented by coach Vincent Kompany with campus players Jonah Kusi-Asare, Jonathan Asp Jensen, and Luca Denk.
Strong Chances for Quarterfinals
Following their 3-0 victory last week at the Allianz Arena, Bayern Munich has excellent prospects for advancing to the quarterfinals. In the last 14 knockout matches in the Champions League, after a first-leg victory, Bayern has always qualified for the next round. Furthermore, in 27 instances in European competition, the German champions have never relinquished a three-goal lead from the first leg.
Max Eberl, the sports director, emphasized the importance of not merely trying to manage the lead. “This is not in the Bayern DNA—we must play our game and showcase our football,” he warned.
Referee Concerns
The match will be officiated by Slavko Vincic, who was the referee in last year’s final. The 45-year-old has officiated three matches involving Bayern, including a 3-0 home victory against Lazio Rome in 2024, as well as the quarterfinal exit against Villarreal in April 2022 (1-1) and a 1-4 defeat against Barcelona this season. Leverkusen achieved a 1-0 victory under his supervision this season against Inter Milan.
Goalkeeper Situation
In addition to the outfield players, Jonas Urbig has been preparing with goalkeepers Sven Ulreich and Daniel Peretz for a significant match. The U21 national goalkeeper will take the place of the injured Manuel Neuer, for whom he was substituted in the first leg. “We have great confidence in him,” Eberl stated.