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Champions League: Bayern, Gladbach playing for pride

Chuck Penfold
December 5, 2016

Bayern Munich are set to host Atletico Madrid with little but pride on the line as the outcome of the match can have no impact on the Group D standings. Gladbach travel to Barcelona in a similar situation in Group C.

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Fußball Atletico Madrid gegen Bayern München UEFA Champions League
Image: Picture-alliance/dpa/J. Martin

They won't call it revenge that they will be looking for when Carlo Ancelotti's men play Atletico Madrid at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday night. However, they will be looking for a result simply to prove a point after losing the first game in Group D 1-0 in Madrid and having crashed out against Atletico in last season's semifinals.

Bayern, who in the Bundesliga find themselves in an unfamiliar second place, had hoped that this final game would be a battle for first place in the group, but their surprising 3-2 defeat to Rostov in Russia a fortnight ago has proved costly.

"Unfortunately we have not achieved what we set out to do, namely to finish first in the group," Ancelotti conceded to reporters at the prematch press conference on Monday. "Nevertheless, we want to show what we are capable of against Atletico, against a team that we know will give us a difficult match."

Asked whether Arturo Vidal might make his return on Tuesday night, the coach indicated that he wouldn't be in his starting 11, but that he likely would get a few minutes of playing time. He also tipped his hand as far as to say that the captain, Philipp Lahm, "will definitely" play, but that Jerome Boateng had been ruled out by a "slight muscular injury."

However, he gave no clues as to whether he would do what he did in the 3-1 win over Mainz on the weekend, when he opted for a 4-2-3-1 formation rather than his preferred 4-3-3, saying Bayern's players were capable of playing in various systems.

Both teams going into the match with records to defend. Diego Simeone's team arrive in the Bavarian capital looking to become just the sixth team to win all six games in a Champions League group stage. Bayern, on the other hand, will be looking for their 15th straight win at home in Europe's top club competition.

Headed for the Europa League

Borussia Mönchengladbach approach their match in the Camp Nou looking to give a good account of themselves in their last Champions League contest of the season, assured of finishing third in Group C and moving on to the round of 32 in the Europa League. 

Fußball Borussia Moenchengladbach gegen FC Barcelona UEFA Champions League
Gerard Pique had Barcelona's game-winning goal in Mönchengladbach in SeptemberImage: Picture-alliance/AP Photo/M. Meissner

Coach André Schubert and his men may be happy to put their Bundesliga woes on hold for one night in Barcelona following their 4-1 loss in Dortmund on the weekend, and while they have not traveled to Spain to suffer "a blowout," as André Hahn put it, this match can't be a top priority for them.

"It's great for everyone that we have a competitive match in the Camp Nou. However, at the moment, this is really not important," Max Eberl, Gladbach's sporting director, said. "The next Bundesliga match against Mainz is much more important.

Barcelona on the other hand have clinched the group and while he would like to get a win for his team's morale after four consecutive draws, coach Luis Enrique may use the opportunity to experiment with his lineup.

"I may use a different system, try out different players, rest some who have been playing a lot and give minutes to some who haven't played that much," he said.

Asked whether superstar Lionel Messi would play on Tuesday, Luis Enrique replied: "Yes, he will play. He will start."