Barcelona v Bayern Munich: Champions League prediction & free tips

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Barcelona v Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals on Friday.

Where to watch

BT Sport 1, 8pm Friday

Best bets

Bayern Munich & both teams to score
1pt 12-5 bet365
Serge Gnabry first scorer
1pt 13-2BoyleSports

Team news

Barcelona
Samuel Umtiti (knee), Ousmane Dembele (hamstring) and Jean-Clair Todibo (groin) are sidelined but Arturo Vidal and Sergio Busquets return from suspensions.

Bayern Munich
Kingsley Coman has recovered from a muscle problem and Jerome Boateng has shaken off a knock but Benjamin Pavard (ankle) is ruled out.

Match preview

Relentless Bayern Munich have racked up 18 successive victories and they look worthy favourites to overcome Barcelona in their Champions League quarter-final at the Stadium of Light.

Going into a contest as clear underdogs is an unusual scenario for Barca, who are playing in the Champions League quarter-finals for a 13th successive season.

However, the Catalans have not reached the final since they lifted the trophy in 2015 and there is mounting evidence that they are a team on the slide.

Barcelona relinquished the La Liga title this season, finishing five points behind a far from vintage Real Madrid side, and have a massive rebuild to undertake in the not-too-distant future with key players Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets, Ivan Rakitic, Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi in the twilight of their careers.

The drop-off in consistency was emphasised by Barca's league points tally of 82 which was their lowest tally since the 2007-08 campaign.

However, Barcelona still have some world-class players and their three-pronged attack of Messi, Suarez and Antoine Griezmann is a threat to any defence in world football.

Bayern will have their hands full containing a side who have scored in their last nine matches but may not need a clean sheet to progress.

Hansi Flick's team appreciate there are risks attached to their exciting, offensive style of football and have kept just two clean sheets in their last eight games, despite winning them all.

Robert Lewandowski remains the headline act and seems to still be improving even though he will be 32 by the time of the Champions League final.

The Pole topped the Bundesliga scoring charts with 34 league goals and is the Champions League's leading marksman on 13. He is having the most productive season of his career which is remarkable bearing in mind he underwent groin surgery during Germany's winter break.

Another Bayern player getting better with age is Thomas Muller, whose tally of 21 Bundesliga assists has set a new benchmark, breaking the record Kevin De Bruyne achieved by assisting 19 goals for Wolfsburg during the 2014-15 campaign.

Bayern also possess some high quality younger players, allowing them to look to the future with greater confidence than Barcelona.

Nineteen-year-old left back Alphonso Davies has searing pace (a 22.7mph sprint clocked against Werder Bremen was the fastest since Bundesliga data collection began in 2013-14) and bundles of ability.

Apart from carrying out his defensive duties to a high standard, Davies has been excellent going forward, contributing three goals and five assists.

Davies's raids down the left could cause Barcelona problems and might open up space on the other side for Serge Gnabry, who normally plays on the right of Bayern's star-studded attack.

Gnabry has been Bayern's second-top scorer in the Bundesliga and Champions League with contributions of 12 and six and he has the potential to get even better.

In 31 Bundesliga appearances this season he has racked up 100 goal attempts (the third-highest total in the division) and he probably feels there is room for improvement with his finishing.

However, the 25-year-old is a huge threat to Barca and looks decent value to score opening goal.

Key stat

Bayern Munich have kept just two clean sheets in their last eight matches.

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