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Spurs Odyssey Champions League Preview - Spurs v Bayern Munich, 01.10.19

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Spurs' record in Europe:-
The official crest of Tottenham Hotspur
U.E.F.A Champions League
 
 P  W   D   L   F - A
39 17   9  13  70 - 54

(Finalists 2019)
 
European Cup
P   W   D   L   F - A
8   4   1   3  21 - 13
 
(Semi-Finalists 1962)
 
European Cup Winners Cup
 
P   W   D   L   F - A
33  20  5   8  65 - 34
 
(Winners 1963)
 
UEFA Cup/Europa League
 P    W   D   L   F - A
140  78  36  26  276-121 
 
(Winners 1972, 1984
 Finalists 1974)
The club logo of Bayern Munich
Total
P    W   D   L   F - A
220 119 51  50  432-222

         Champions League Group B

                   P  W  D  L  F-A  GD  Pts
1. Bayern Munich   1  1  0  0  3-0  +3   3
2. Spurs           1  0  1  0  2-2   0   1
3. Olympiacos      1  0  1  0  2-2   0   1
4. Crvena Zvezda   1  0  0  1  0-3  -3   0

Passion required tonight!

Whilst this might not quite be the mighty Bayern Munich of recent years with Arjen Robben having retired and 36 year old Franck Ribery having transferred to Fiorentina, there are plenty of familiar names in the German side, and of course the massive goal scoring threat of Robert Lewandowski. The Polish International is 31 now, and veteran of 108 senior International games with 57 goals. Lewandowski is in his 10th year in the Bundesliga. The first four were with Borussia Dortmund, and he is now in his sixth season for Bayern Munich for whom he has scored 138 league goals in 165 appearances, and plenty more in other competitions. Lewandowski has scored 54 champions League goals in a total of 81 appearances for both the German clubs. He has already scored 10 goals in Bayern's first 6 games! Lewandowski's goal against Crvena Zvezda on Matchday One was in fact his 200th competitive goal for Bayern.

Another Bayern veteran, although still only just 30, is Thomas Muller. He is a one club man and has scored 110 goals in 324 Bundesliga appearances. Muller has scored 43 goals in 106 Champions League appearances, all of which have been for Bayern. Muller has started three of the league games and came off the bench in the other three games. Bayern, who are favourites to win this Group B, are top of their league with 14 points from their six games. They beat bottom club SC Paderborn on Saturday 3-2 with goals from Serge Gnabry (once of Arsenal), Phillippe Coutinho and Lewandowski.

Coutinho has been signed on loan from Barcelona, and is a familiar face from his Liverpool days. Another loanee is Croatian International Ivan Perisic, who played against us last year for Inter. Perisic has played in three games so far for Bayern (once as substitute) and already has scored two goals. Countinho has scored in the last two games - once from the penalty spot.

The last time we played Bayern Munich was on 31st July in the Audi Cup Final, played in Bayern's Allianz Stadium. We won that on penalties, but of course this was essentially a friendly match with young players involved on both sides. Lewandowski did not appear until the 70th minute, but the match was won when Paulo Gazzaniga saved Jerome Boateng's penalty kick. Boateng, now 31 is a German International. He spent the 2010/11 season with Manchester City, but he did not play against Spurs.

The last time we played Bayern in a competitive European game was in 1983 in a Third Round UEFA Cup tie on our way to that 1984 success against Anderlecht! We played away first and lost 1-0, but ensured progress by winning the home leg 2-0 in December, 1983. Steve Archibald and Mark Falco scored our goals. Incidentally, our Spurs side that night included Richard Cooke, aged 18 making his first European appearance, and only his fourth in all for Spurs. Another 18 year old - Ally Dick - also started that game, and had played in the away leg. The previous year we met Bayern in the second round, drawing 1-1 at home, but we were well beaten away 4-1. One of the goalscorers then was Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, now the club chairman.

One more familiar name is that of goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, in his ninth season with Bayern, and veteran of 90 International caps for Germany. Neuer is now 33, and captains the German Bundesliga Champions. Bayern have won this title for a record 29th time this year.

Manager Niko Kovac is in his second season in charge of Bayern. He played for the side between 2001 and 2003, as a defensive midfielder.

Bayern are of course a massive club, with great European pedigree having won the European Cup/Champions League five times. They last won the tournament in 2013 at Wembley, beating Borussia Dortmund 2-1. Lewandowski played for Dortmund in that game.

Once again there is no new team news, and we must continue waiting to see Ryan Sessegnon and the return of Lo Celso, who was all too briefly seen after he signed for the club. To what degree Mauricio Pochettino decides to freshen up the team after Saturday's win remains to be seen. As he will be suspended for Saturday's lunchtime game at Brighton I am assuming that Serge Aurier will be trusted with this game. Erik Lamela played the last half hour against Southampton and may get a start here.

It will be fantastic to see the stadium under lights again, and to hear the Champions League theme tune. It would be even greater to witness what would be a magnificent result - a win - against a formidable side. There must be a wall of sound from the South Stand, and indeed the whole stadium. Of course, I hope to see a win, but I dare not predict such an outcome. Passion will be required on and off the pitch!

Match referee Clement Turpin and all the officials (including VAR) are all from France. We've seen Monsieur Turpin twice before. Last year he was in charge of our away defeat against Inter, and in November 2017, he oversaw our 2-1 away win against Borussia Dortmund when Kane and Son scored our goals. I'd settle for the same again here!

· It was Twenty Years ago today! - well actually on 30th September, 1999, we played in Moldova and drew 0-0 with Zimbru Chisinau.

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