FC Bayern München vs Club Brugge

Bayern München welcome Belgian champions Club Brugge to the Allianz Arena, aiming to make it three wins from three in this season’s UEFA Champions League league phase [WW]. The hosts continue to set the standard in Europe, while the visitors arrive hoping to recover from their Matchday 2 defeat at Atalanta, which halted their own impressive run of five consecutive European victories. The two clubs have met only once before in European competition, during the 2005–06 group stage, when Bayern won 1–0 at home and drew 1–1 away. Since then, the German giants have maintained their dominance over Belgian opposition, losing just one of their last ten meetings (W6 D3). Their record at home is even stronger — seven wins in eight matches against Belgian sides in Munich, scoring 17 goals in the process. The Allianz Arena has long been a fortress in Europe, and Club Brugge face a formidable challenge. Bayern’s Champions League pedigree speaks for itself. The six-time winners have featured in the competition proper every season since 2008/09, reaching the knockout stages on every occasion. Now in their 29th European Cup campaign, Bayern trail only Barcelona and Real Madrid (30 each). Twelfth in last season’s league phase (W5 L3), they went out narrowly 3–4 on aggregate to Inter in the quarter-finals, but their early-season form underlines why they remain among the favourites. They make preparations to face Brugge while sitting atop the UCL league-phase table with six points. Harry Kane, who was on target in Bayern’s 2-1 win over Dortmund in Der Klassiker, is expected at the attacking end of the club’s 4—2—3—1 formation. Jamal Musiala remains ruled out despite progress in recovery.

Club Brugge, meanwhile, face a steep challenge. The Belgians have won just one of their 16 away games against German opposition (D5 L10) — a 2–1 victory at RB Leipzig in 2021 — and are winless in their last four away group-stage fixtures (D1 L3). Before their 2–1 loss in Bergamo, they had won five straight matches in this year’s competition, scoring an impressive 17 goals across those games. However, they will need much more to end Bayern’s 35-home-group-stage unbeaten run (W33 D2) since losing 2–3 to Manchester City in December 2013. A 4—2—3—1 formation with Nicolò Tresoldi in attack is expected.