Bayern Munich face AEK at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 7. Here’s all the info you need to watch.
Bayern were in crisis at the start of the month after going four games without a win. That run included successive Bundesliga losses in which they failed to score and a draw with Ajax in the Champions League that the Dutch side thoroughly deserved. Four successive wins seemed to have lifted the mood at Saebener Strasse, but the storm clouds gathered again on Saturday as Freiburg earned their first point in Munich for more than two decades, with Bayern being jeered both during and after an unimpressive display. Nonetheless, Niko Kovac’s team were worth their 0-2 away victory over AEK in the last CL matchday, even though the Greek side succeeded in frustrating the German champions for the first hour of the game.
While AEK haven’t won in the Champions League since 2006, they were unlucky not to beat Benfica on matchday two. The Athens club have appeared regularly in the UEFA Cup/Europa League in that time but have struggled to make it beyond the group stages even in Europe’s second-tier tournament. Then again, they came close to bankruptcy and were relegated to the third level of Greek football in 2013, so AEK’s mere presence in the Champions League is remarkable in itself.
They won the Greek Super League last season, ending a run of seven straight titles for Olympiacos. However, the coach who led the club to that triumph — ex-Sevilla boss Manolo Jimenez — returned to his native Spain in the summer to take over at Las Palmas. The squad he left behind is short on familiar faces, although Dmytro Chygrynskiy spent an ill-fated season with Barcelona during Pep Guardiola’s reign, and Astrit Ajdarevic was highly rated in his years as a youth player at Liverpool.
The Champions League match between Bayern Munich and AEK will be broadcast live on Bleacher Report. Live streaming is available on B/R Live, which you can access with your cable or satellite subscriptions, either online or through the Bleacher Report app.
Date: Wednesday, Nov. 7
Start time: 3 p.m. ET
Location: Munich, Germany
Stadium: Allianz Arena
TV Info: Bleacher Report
Live Stream: B/R Live | Fubo.TV. Sign up for a free seven-day trial here
Anything other than a win for Bayern will see the speculation over coach Niko Kovac’s future reach fever pitch.