Bayern would have probably preferred to have had home advantage, so they have that peace of mind knowing round two would be on their home patch. Nevertheless, your cribb is your cribb and they will be overwhelming favorites to destroy Benfica. They have the players, the past results to prove this theory true, but then we all assumed that before Juventus came calling.
Benfica are not Juventus and many people don't give them any chance of progressing. The same however was said of Juventus, and they could and should have beaten Bayern. Benfica can use inspiration from that and play an aggressive and quick counter-attacking game with focus on pressing as far up the pitch as possible to Bayern don't sniff the centre-circle. It's not easy to do that, because if it was there would be no point in watching this fishnet sport.
But then again, you must think that Pep would have learned from that scare from Juventus where they were minutes away from being knocked out. So the players will be on alert, and this being the first leg, the mission has to be to not only win but to shift in as many G's as possible. This is keeping in mind Pep's bad away record, which doesn't make any sense to me personally. Winning by a narrow margin puts their progress in the balance and gives so much hope for Benfica in Portugal.
I am personally hoping we see a match. Nobody wants to see a blowout and a toally one-sided beatdown. For Benfica to avoid getting decimated, they need to also look at what Mainz did. They've got to know they won't have much possession and they will be going up against some of the best wingers that the world of football has to offer. If they can withstand that and hit Bayern on the break and take the chances that will fall to them which will be very few, then perhaps they could get a great result to take back home.
I just don't see that happening to be realistic. Especially with Douglas The Ballaaa Costa on the prowl. HH
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