Bayern Munich midfielder Jamal Musiala tore his hamstring and can miss Tuesday’s match with Inter Milan (Alexandra BEIER)
Bayern Munich’s hopes of reaching the Champions League last, to be held at their Allianz Area residence, have been rocked by a devastating damage disaster.
Bayern face Inter Milan within the first leg of their Champions League quarter last on Tuesday lacking a number of first workforce gamers, many to long run accidents.
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The disaster has left Bayern reeling, as they give the impression of being to avenge the ghosts of the 2012 Champions League last, additionally in Munich, after they misplaced to Chelsea on penalties.
On Friday, midfield creator Jamal Musiala was the most recent to hitch Bayern’s crowded casualty ward, with a torn hamstring, which is able to possible maintain him out till mid-Could.
Bayern’s defence is especially laborious hit.
Defenders Alphonso Davies, Dayot Upamecano and Hiroki Ito look set to overlook the rest of the season with accidents.
Goalkeeper and captain Manuel Neuer, winger Kingsley Coman and midfielder Aleksandar Pavlovic are doubts for the Inter match.
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Bayern might want to maintain tabs on harmful Inter forwards Marcus Thuram and Lautaro Martinez and have solely two centre-backs obtainable: Kim Min-Jae, who has been nursing an Achilles damage, and English veteran Eric Dier.
– ‘Finale dahoam’ –
This season’s Champions League last in Munich, often called the ‘finale dahoam’ within the Bavarian dialect, has loomed massive for Bayern for years.
A number of of Bayern’s main strikes in current seasons, from the shock alternative of Julian Nagelsmann with Thomas Tuchel, to breaking the financial institution to signal Harry Kane, have been pushed by the need to win in Munich this Could.
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The six-time winners had been, nevertheless, pressured to regulate their expectations after a disappointing 2023-24 season, when Bayer Leverkusen received a league and cup double, leaving Bayern with their first trophyless marketing campaign in 11 years.
Vincent Kompany changed Tuchel as coach.
Membership powerbroker Uli Hoeness, nonetheless probably the most influential particular person on the German giants, regardless of stepping down as President in 2019, advised Kicker in February the main focus for this season was successful the Bundesliga fairly than Europe.
“After the tough 2023/24 season, there’s an excessive amount of discuss concerning the Champions League. The German championship would imply loads to me,” Hoeness mentioned.
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However with Bayern six factors away from Leverkusen with six video games remaining, ideas have returned to Europe.
Bayern veteran Thomas Mueller, who on Saturday introduced he was leaving the membership at season’s finish regardless of wanting to remain, mentioned he was targeted on reaching the “finale dahoam” in his final weeks on the membership.
Within the midst of one other stellar season, Kane has additionally made clear his designs on the largest workforce trophy of all.
For a participant who has been hit by damage forward of a number of the largest moments of his profession, Kane comes into Tuesday’s recreation match and in positive type, significantly in Europe.
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Kane was Bayern’s finest participant of their last-16 tie towards Bayer Leverkusen, scoring three targets and laying on an help whereas continuously menacing defenders together with his physicality.
Solely Barcelona’s Raphinha, with 11, has greater than Kane’s 10 targets within the Champions League this season.
Talking after scoring in Bayern’s 3-1 win at Augsburg on Friday, Kane mentioned Bayern’s damage woes may galvanise the aspect and that Kompany had anticipated such a disaster.
“From the primary day the supervisor got here in, he spoke about needing the squad and utilizing everybody.
“We’ve got a very large week developing, so rotation will probably be key.
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“Some gamers must play each minute, some gamers must make an impression off the bench, and we simply should maintain targeted on what we are able to do.
“We’re in a very good place, now we have good momentum, and we have to take that into the sport on Tuesday.”
Kane mentioned the Italian champions could be “powerful”, however mentioned Bayern’s win over defending champions Leverkusen within the earlier spherical was “an enormous assertion. It exhibits with the suitable mentality, the suitable focus, we are able to damage any workforce — and Inter aren’t any totally different.
“We’ve got to be targeted and use the power within the residence leg to our benefit.”
dwi/PB