Group A of the Champions League promises a lot of excitement with the top clash between MU and Bayern. The two teams that created the sensational final in 1999 meet again when Harry Kane is ready to hit the net against a familiar opponent in the Premier League.
As for Erik ten Hag, he will have special emotions when meeting Bayern again. The Dutch strategist spent two years as head coach of the Bayern B team (2013-2015), which was the period in which Ten Hag accumulated a lot of coaching experience, especially when cooperating with Pep Guardiola, who led the team. a Bavaria in the same period.
From now on, Ten Hag will have to plan to stop the player he once craved in the summer, Harry Kane. MU considered Kane as the top target but eventually gave up before Tottenham was too solid. While MU turned to recruit young striker Rasmus Hojlund, Kane moved to Bayern in the most expensive transfer in Bundesliga history (110 million euros).
Kane soon proved to be a top class in the Bundesliga, with 3 goals and 1 assist in just the first 2 matches. The former Tottenham striker is the perfect piece for the Bayern attack, which has an excess of passing legs but lacks finishing legs. Last season, the Gray Lobster soon stopped in the quarterfinals of the Champions League because of a dull attack after Robert Lewandowski joined Barcelona. And this season, Bayern rekindled the ambition to conquer the Champions League with Harry Kane, the world’s top No. 9 at the moment.
The former Tottenham striker had 19 encounters with MU but only scored 5 goals. However, being in the rich squad of Bayern will help Kane have more opportunities to shine than at Tottenham. The climactic encounter between MU and Bayern on September 19 (or September 20) will become the focus of the Champions League. Ten Hag will have a headache thinking about how to lock down Harry Kane in the context of MU’s defense being injured.
The last time MU and Bayern faced each other was 9 years ago, in the quarter-finals of the 2013/14 Champions League. MU drew 1-1 with Bayern at home but lost 1-3 in the second leg in Germany. Previously, in the 2009/10 Champions League quarter-finals, MU also lost to Bayern with a final score of 4-4 (according to the away goals rule). Both of MU’s above-mentioned failures are associated with the nightmare called Arjen Robben. The Dutch winger scored important goals to help Bayern eliminate their Premier League opponents.
But when talking about Bayern and MU, we have to mention the great final match 24 years ago. On May 26, 1999, MU met Bayern at Camp Nou and soon conceded in the 6th minute by Mario Basler’s goal. But in a Hollywood scenario, Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scored consecutive goals in three minutes of extra time to create a legendary comeback.
It can be said that every time MU and Bayern meet, there is drama and sensationalism. They have met a total of 11 times in which Bayern won 4, drew 5, and lost 2. Also in Group A, Copenhagen and Galatasaray will play the role of supporting actors disturbing the top competition between Bayern and MU.
