Pafos FC vs FC Bayern München

Domestic league leaders Pafos head into UCL Match Day 2 after a 2-1 win over Olympiakos at the weekend. They head into this game on a positive note after securing a hard-fought 0-0 draw away against Greek side Olympiacos on UCL Matchday 1. Remarkably, they played over an hour with 10 men after Bruno Felipe’s dismissal in the 25th minute. Forced to defend deep with just 27% possession for most of the match, they limited Olympiacos to only three shots on target despite facing 18 attempts overall. With the goalless draw, they became one of the eight sides to earn a point on UCL Match Day 1. That resilience will be essential if they are to withstand Bayern’s relentless attacking play when they host the Bavarians on Tuesday. A 4—1—4—1 formation with Landry Dimata in attack is expected against Bayern. Bruno Felipe is suspended for UCL Match Day 2.

Bayern Munich travel to Cyprus for their second UEFA Champions League league phase match in what will be the 50th meeting between Cypriot and German clubs in major European competition. History, however, is heavily stacked against the Cypriots. Only once has a team from Cyprus defeated German opposition — APOEL Nicosia’s 2-1 victory over Berliner FC Dynamo way back in 1980. For Bayern, this is familiar territory. The German champions have faced Cypriot opposition six times in the past and emerged victorious on every occasion, scoring an astonishing 31 goals while conceding just twice. Their most recent meeting dates back to 1990, when they cruised to a 4-0 win over APOEL Nicosia in the European Cup. In addition to that, Bayern have been extremely ruthless when meeting a new opponent in the European Cup or Champions League. The Bavarians have won 14 of their last 15 such first-time encounters, the only blemish being a 3-1 defeat to BATE Borisov in 2012. However, Bayern’s away record in last season’s league phase was poor. They lost three of their four matches on their travels—falling to Aston Villa, Barcelona, and Feyenoord—after previously going 20 consecutive away group/league games unbeaten. The German giants will be keen to put those issues firmly behind them, making this trip to Cyprus an opportunity to reassert their authority away from home. Harry Kane is expected at the attacking end of Bayern’s 4—2—3—1 formation.