By David Lee Wheatley
Most observers' idea of a dream final got pulled out of the hat at the semi-final stage when reigning European champions Bayern Munich were paired with the 'Galacticos' of Real Madrid.
The tasty tie will see former Barça hero Pep Guardiola come up against his nemesis Real in a mouthwatering 'Clash of the Titans', which will undoubtedly produce the bookmakers' favourites to claim this year's title.
Bayern defended their domestic crown in style by winning the Bundesliga at a canter; they remained unbeaten until a surprise loss to Augsburg on April 5th, which was followed up a week later by a 0-3 thrashing at the hands of great rivals Borussia Dortmund. However, it must be stressed that top spot had been sealed long before those twin setbacks - after a record 27 games in fact - and perhaps their collective attention has wandered towards the task of holding on to the biggest prize in European football.
They've displayed some apparent frailties in Champions' League action this term with a disappointing loss during the group stages to Manchester City and a rather uninspiring first-leg draw at Old Trafford before disposing of Premier Lesgue strugglers Manchester United in their second meeting.
Exalted head coach Guardiola is seeking to infuse his own pass-and-move style of football with Bayern's more traditional game built on their superior power and strength. It's still very much a work in progress, but the class of footballer that the Catalan can call upon offers the German giants a distinct possibility of reaching the final for the fourth time in five seasons.
Manuel Neuer has missed two successive games through injury, but should be fit to start Wednesday's first encounter at the Bernebeu. He is far and away Guardiola's number one and the club will move hell and high water in order to get him fit to start the match in Madrid. Captain Lahm has largely featured in a new midfield role handed to him by the imaginative Pep, but has since retreated to a more recognisable position of full-back recently. Jerome Boateng, Dante and David Alaba are the regular three alongside the man who eventually gets the nod at right-back, be it Lahm or Rafinha.
There are two prominent formations regularly utilised by the former Spain international, either 4-1-4-1 with Lahm as the holding player or 4-2-3-1. Guardiola's Barcelona side loved to create through the middle, with Messi the main focus of attack when floating around an area between midfield and attack. They attempted to pass opposition teams into submission, while pressing the ball when out of possession on the basis of a seven-second rule which was intrinsically understood and carried out with incisive precision.
It's vastly different at Bayern, due mainly to their over-reliance on the silky skills of Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben. Though they possess myriad talented footballers in the middle of the park, it's when they deliver the ball to their dashing wingers that defenders become most concerned. Meanwhile, the increased anticipation of an expectant Bavarian crowd is palpable when those two speed demons drive into the final third of the pitch.
Assuming the Germans go for a 4-2-3-1 line-up in the Spanish capital, plus Lahm does indeed settle into the right-hand side of defence, then the two screening midfielders will probably be Javi Martinez and the inspirational Bastian Schweinsteiger. In front of them, Dutchman Robben will take up residence on the right with French playmaker Ribery implanted to the left of a lone striker. Toni Kroos is then likely to pull the strings from the centre of the pack behind feared forward Mario Mandzukic, who should lead the line in his usual bustling style.
Numerous alternative options from deeper within an extremely strong squad include Mario Gotze, Thiago Alcantara, Rafinha, Thomas Muller, Claudio Pizarro, Holger Badstuber, Diego Contento and Daniel Van Buyten. The guy who'll feel most harshly treated will be the versatile Muller should he get forced to take up a watching brief from the bench and it may be that he actually sneaks into the starting XI ahead of Kroos or Mandzukic.
Although they have gone off the boil somewhat in domestic circles recently, there's no doubting the capability of Bayern's all-star side to pull off a famous victory. Additionally, Guardiola knows his Madrid foes inside-out thanks to a glittering spell in charge of his beloved Barcelona and that understanding of his opponents should stand him in good stead heading into this extremely tough two-legged tie.
Despite sluggish performances against the likes of Manchester United, Augsburg and Dortmund throughout recent weeks, it's still difficult to see beyond Bayern for the trophy once again this season.
Twitter: @davewh1980
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