Keystone
Bayern Munich are under pressure at home to Benfica Lisbon in the Champions League on Wednesday. In Milan, Inter Milan will face Arsenal in a clash of the unbeaten.
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- There are some promising duels in the Champions League on Wednesday evening.
- FC Bayern Munich are under pressure against Benfica. According to a data analysis, 17 points are needed to make it into the top 8. Bayern are on 3 points with five games to go in the league phase.
- In Milan, Yann Sommer and Inter welcome big Arsenal. Both teams are still without defeat in the current campaign.
For Bayern, a direct place in the round of 16 could be at stake in the fourth game of the new league system. After defeats against Aston Villa and FC Barcelona, coach Vincent Kompany’s side, who started the campaign with a magnificent 9-2 win over Dinamo Zagreb, need a win to ensure their chances of reaching the top eight do not fade early on.
After three rounds, the Munich side are only 23rd among the 36 teams. Only the top eight teams advance to the round of 16, with the 16 teams placed behind them in the table determining the other eight round of 16 finalists in a knockout round.
Data analysis: 17 points are enough for the top 8
The German record champions are not yet in danger of progressing, but they must score points to reach the round of 16. According to projections by the British data analysis company Opta, which simulated the league phase 50,000 times before the start, 17 points were always enough for the top 8, 16 points at 98 percent and 15 points at 73 percent. 11 points at 100 percent, 10 points at 99 percent and 9 points at 69 percent were enough for the top 24.
Bayern Munich therefore need at least four wins in the five remaining games of the league phase against Benfica Lisbon (h), Paris Saint-Germain (h), Shakhtar Donetsk (in Gelsenkirchen), Feyenoord Rotterdam (a) and Slovan Bratislava (h) to make the top 8. Lisbon-born Portuguese João Palhinha, who used to play for Sporting, declared the match against city rivals Benfica “a very special game” for Bayern.
Stuttgart host Europa League winners
The top match of the day will take place in Milan, where Yann Sommer and Inter Milan will host Arsenal, who are also still unbeaten. Spanish league leaders FC Barcelona, who have strengthened under coach Hansi Flick, face Red Star Belgrade, while French champions Paris Saint-Germain host Atlético Madrid.
VfB Stuttgart will face Europa League winners Atalanta Bergamo after their victory at Juventus Turin (1:0). Aston Villa, who are one of only two teams to start with three wins and have yet to concede a goal, host FC Brugge.
SDA
