Champions League team profiles: Bayern v Liverpool

Liverpool held to Anfield stalemate

Bookmakers are struggling to separate Liverpool and Bayern Munich after the sides drew 0-0 in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 match at Anfield.

Both clubs are a best-priced evens to qualify for the quarter-finals after the wealth of attacking players on display failed to break the deadlock.

Liverpool will have key defender Virgil van Dijk back in their side for the return fixture in Munich, while Bayern will still be without Thomas Muller.

Both teams are 12-1 to lift the Champions League this season.

Bayern Munich profile

How they qualified
There was never any danger of missing out on the last 16 with easy doubles over Benfica and AEK Athens, but Bayern were not impressive in the two draws against Ajax despite taking top spot.

Form
Niko Kovac's side have won seven of their last eight matches - the other result was a 3-1 loss at Leverkusen in early February.

Winter transfer action
Bayern tried to go large but failed in their attempts to sign Lucas Hernandez and Callum Hudson-Odoi. World Cup winner Benjamin Pavard will join in the summer, while reserve forward Sandro Wagner headed to China.

Prospects
Of all the major candidates Bayern look the least likely to contend due to a poor defence which has started to creak with Jerome Boateng and Mats Hummels no longer the force they once were.

Liverpool profile

How they qualified
By the skin of their teeth, beating Napoli 1-0 in a nerve-shredder at Anfield. Liverpool's nine points came at home with the Merseysiders not only losing at Red Star Belgrade but registering one shot on target (a penalty) across the 180 minutes of defeats in Paris and Naples.

Form
Liverpool were beaten in the Premier League for the first time at the 21st time of asking at Manchester City and have since gone out of the FA Cup at Wolves and drawn with Leicester and West Ham.

Winter transfer action
The Premier League title challengers surprisingly allowed right-back Nathaniel Clyne to leave on loan despite defensive injury problems.

Prospects
Last season's beaten finalists are potential winners having improved from the 2017-18 campaign, but possibly distracted by domestic matters of chasing a first title for 30 years.

Schedule

First leg: Anfield (Liverpool), February 19
Second leg: Allianz Arena (Munich), March 13

TV details

All matches are on BT Sport.

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