Champions League | Quarter-Finals | 1st Leg

Apr 8, 2025 at 8pm UK

Allianz Arena

Bayern Munich vs Inter Milan

Match preview

Fifty per cent of Bayern Munich's revenge mission against Leverkusen is now complete; the Munich mammoths not only hold an unassailable lead over Xabi Alonso's 2023-24 Invincibles at the top of the Bundesliga, they also ended the Werkself's hopes of Champions League supremacy a few weeks ago.

A 5-0 aggregate victory over the German champions in the last 16 - a 3-0 home win followed by a 2-0 away win - saw Bayern reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League for a record 23rd time in their history, and for the sixth successive season.

Indeed, the Bavarians are the only side to have reached the last eight in every competition since 2019-20 - coincidentally the year of their last European success - thanks in no small part to an astonishing home record, having gone unbeaten in their last 22 UCL games at the Allianz Arena.

Still on course for a domestic and European double, Bayern's 3-1 win at Augsburg on Friday night leaves them six points clear of Leverkusen, who are three games away from claiming the Bundesliga title.

However, the hosts' latest Bundesliga triumph came at a heavy cost, with prolific playmaker Jamal Musiala suffering a torn muscle that is likely to sideline him for the rest of the season - a devastating blow to Bayern's chances of breaking down Inter's stubborn defence.

While Bayern's tally of 28 goals in the 2024-25 Champions League is second only to Barcelona's 32, Simone Inzaghi's Inter have produced many a rearguard masterclass, conceding just two goals in their 10 games in the competition so far this term.

One of those efforts came in the second leg of their last-16 tie against Feyenoord, but Jakub Moder's spot-kick proved inconsequential as Marcus Thuram and Hakan Calhanoglu struck in the Italian champions' 4-1 aggregate victory.

Inter are long overdue for another taste of continental success, having won their third and most recent Champions League title against none other than Bayern Munich in 2010, but their aforementioned defensive prowess failed them in Saturday's league clash with Parma.

In fact, Inzaghi's men let a 2-0 lead slip away in a 2-2 draw with the bottom side, meaning that their lead at the top of Serie A could be reduced to just one point if nearest challengers Napoli beat Bologna on Monday night.

The loss of a healthy lead at Parma continued a trend for Inter on their travels, as the Serie A champions have now won just two of their last eight away games in all competitions, and recent memories of their meetings with Bayern do not bode well.

The 2009-10 finalists last met in the group stage of the 2022-23 season, when the Bavarians won 2-0 home and away, and the Germans can look forward to a semi-final clash with Barcelona or Borussia Dortmund if they can repeat the trick over the next two weeks.

Recent Performance

Bayern Munich Champions League form:LWWDWW

Bayern Munich form (all competitions):WLWDWW

Inter Milan Champions League form:WLWWWW

Inter Milan form (all competitions):WWWWDD

Team News

With Musiala set to watch on helplessly for several weeks, Kompany is likely to have no choice but to turn to 35-year-old Thomas Muller, who is set to end his dazzling spell at Bayern this summer, but not without a possible return to the starting XI.

As well as the injured Musiala, the hosts have lost defensive duo Alphonso Davies and Dayot Upamecano to serious knee problems, while it remains to be seen whether Kingsley Coman (unspecified) and Manuel Neuer (calf) will be available for the first leg, with the latter considered highly unlikely.

However, prolific striker Harry Kane played down injury fears on Friday after being spotted with an ice pack on his ankle, and the Tottenham Hotspur legend should be given the thumbs-up to lead the line after becoming the first English player to score 10 goals in a single Champions League season.

Meanwhile, Inter's defensive collapse against Parma was partly due to the loss of Alessandro Bastoni at half-time with a knee problem, but the Italy international is expected to win his battle to be fit for the first leg.

The same cannot be said for Mehdi Taremi (muscle), Piotr Zielinski (calf) and Denzel Dumfries (thigh), while midfield fulcrum Kristjan Asllani will serve a one-match ban for accumulating yellow cards.

With Zielinski and Asllani unavailable, the door will open for Davide Frattesi to join Calhanoglu and Henrikh Mkhitaryan in the middle of the park behind the lethal strikeforce of Thuram and captain Lautaro Martinez.

Possible starting lineup

Bayern Munich possible starting lineup:

Urbig; Laimer, Kim, Dier, Guerreiro; Palhinha, Kimmich; Olise, Muller, Sane; Kane

Inter Milan possible starting lineup:

Sommer; Acerbi, Bisseck, Bastoni; Darmian, Calhanoglu, Frattesi, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Thuram, Martinez