Bayern Munich are one of a handful of teams to approach the final evening of Champions League group games with the luxury of already having secured top spot in the standings. On the other hand, opponents Basel face a very difficult encounter indeed as they attempt to progress into the knock-out stages.
It’s certainly not been an easy season for FCB, with coach Louis van Gaal struggling to get the team to replicate the terrific form of last term, which carried them through to the Champions League final against Inter. Injuries to Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery have not helped the cause, but other players have not stepped forward to fill the void sufficiently.
In the highly competitive Bundesliga this has cost die Roten dearly. At present they lie in the middle of the standings and are by no means guaranteed to be in the mix for a spot amongst Europe’s elite next season if their present form continues. A 2-0 reverse against Schalke was the latest set-back at the weekend, leaving Van Gaal frustrated with his side’s impotence.
Thankfully for the Bavarians, this form has not necessarily translated to a lack of success in Europe. They may have lost 3-2 away to Roma, but they’ve won all of their other four matches and have looked in decent, if not spectacular touch. An impressive 13 goals have been scored in five matches, and Group E’s entertainers will look to finish this stage of the season on a high come Wednesday.
Confident Mood
Swiss champions Basel will be considered heavy underdogs approaching their fixture against Bayern, but having already picked up one win on their travels in the Champions League this season, Thorsten Fink’s side will be gunning for maximum points, which could yet take them through to the knockout stages.
It would take something of a miracle for Basel to progress. Not only will they need to defeat FCB, but they require Roma to slip up against Cluj in Romania. Veteran striker Alexander Frei is confident that the BlauRot can hold their part of the bargain, however.
“We believe we have a chance to win here, especially us forwards,” he told the media. “Marco Streller and I have a lot of confidence at the moment.
"We won't get many chances, so we have to be very alert and take the ones we get. We are in good shape; we did well in our last few games and there is no pressure on us. That could be to our advantage.”
Meanwhile, fixtures against German clubs, particularly those from the south, are special to Swiss sides, as detailed by Streller when the draw was made. “I believe that most people maintain a kind of love-hate relationship to Bayern Munich,” he explained to his side’s official website. “In Switzerland, we follow the Bundesliga closely, and there is always joy when Bayern lose.”
To add spice to the occasion, coach Fink is a former FCB player, having turned out for the Bavarian outfit for nine years as both a professional and amateur.
TEAM NEWS
Bayern
Arjen Robben continues to be the headline absentee, though Ivica Olic and Holger Badstuber are also sidelined. Miroslav Klose and Daniel Pranjic will require late checks.
Thomas Kraft is poised to keep goal for FCB, who have third choice shot-stopper Rouven Sattelmaier out until 2011.
Basel
Scott Chipperfield, Genseric Kusunga and Jacques Zoua all have injury problems, with the latter suffering a recurrence of his ankle issues. Benjamin Huggel is missing until 2011, but Marco Streller has returned ahead of schedule.
Prediction
At home, Bayern should have too much for Basel, who will be eager to get one over on their relatively local rivals. The Swiss side may have previously won in Cluj, but this is a different proposition altogether.
Bayern Munich 3-1 Basel 
