English Football #3

  Alphonso Davies’ last-minute equaliser sent Bayern through thanks to a first-leg win in Scotland, but Bayern know they must improve on that if they are to have a chance of reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League this season. After overcoming Celtic, Harry Kane and his teammates will face compatriots Leverkusen in the last 16, and Bayern will play at home in the first leg. The Bayern vs Leverkusen prediction is heavily in favour of the Bavarians, with Kompany and his team playing at home and need to work hard to gain an advantage ahead of the second leg. Bayern have lost just one of their last 11 home Champions League last-16 first legs, scoring 41 goals, including seven against Red Bull Salzburg and Shakhtar Donetsk, and five against Arsenal and Besiktas. Leverkusen will be a much tougher test, however, and after losing to Xabi Alonso’s side in the DFB-Pokal earlier in the season, the Champions League represents Kompany’s side’s last chance of cup silverware this season. Bayern have fond memories of recent European encounters with German sides, including the 2013 final against Dortmund at Wembley when Arjen Robben scored a last-minute winner. Leverkusen also have a good record against their own national teams in European competition, knocking Werder Bremen and Hamburg out of the UEFA Cup in 1988 and 2008 respectively.