Share

Hargreaves: Bayern are Champions League favourites

Cape Town - Former Bayern Munich midfielder Owen Hargreaves believes the Bundesliga champions are the front-runners to claim the UEFA Champions League title this season.

Die Roten are chasing a treble of trophies. They have already secured their sixth consecutive Bundesliga title, are in the semi-finals of the DFB-Pokal, and take a 2-1 lead into the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie against Sevilla.

Hargreaves, who played for the Bavarians between 2000 and 2007, has backed his former club to go all the way in Europe, especially with the experienced leadership of manager Jupp Heynckes to guide them.

"He’s used all his experience at this level, he’s a great man manager and all the players love him,” Hargreaves told BT Sport when asked about Heynckes.

"Bayern aren’t now giving teams as many chances as they did under Guardiola. Under Pep they were so dominant offensively, had so much possession, so high up the pitch. When they lost in previous years to Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid a lot of the goals were on the counter attack.

"This Bayern team won’t suffer that same issue anymore. They play a bit more reserved now, they are built differently. It suits the Champions League because all the remaining sides play exceptional attacking football but offer up chances for the opposition.

"Bayern are the only team left that will play a bit more cautiously, they are perfectly built for knockout football. Nobody will want to play them and I don’t see anyone beating them over two legs."

Kick-off is at 20:45. (SA time)

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2243 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE