Bayern Munich have left themselves little room for error after back-to-back Champions League defeats, but the Bundesliga leaders should pick up all three points when Benfica visit the Allianz Arena. Barcelona’s 4-1 loss last month, which was more of a dismemberment than a defeat, will serve as a warning for later in the competition. But for now, Vincent Kompany’s side have all the tools necessary to collect the points they need from upcoming matches against Benfica, Paris Saint-Germain, Shakhtar Donetsk, Feyenoord and Slovan Bratislava. After all, it was only two months ago that the Bavarians beat Dinamo Zagreb 9-1 at home, and the goals have continued to flow when they have faced other teams in the Bundesliga recently.
Benfica has so far earned 6 points from an away win in Belgrade and a home win against struggling Atletico Madrid, but victory over Bayern is another matter. Bruno Lage’s side won 2-1 over Farense on Saturday in preparation for this trip, but they will have to defend for long periods – unlike most of the matches they play in Portugal. Backing Bayern to win at least three goals in the match seems like a fair prediction for how the match will go.
