Bayern Munich’s chances of advancing directly to the Champions League Round of 16 are slim.
While they have been dominating in the Bundesliga, their Champions League campaign has been far from ideal. The likelihood of Bayern finishing in the top eight to secure an automatic spot in the Round of 16 is very low. However, ahead of their final group-stage match, coach Vincent Kompany remains hopeful, stating that anything is possible.
Bayern will host Slovenian side Slovan Bratislava at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday. The Slovakian team has already been eliminated, losing all seven of their group-stage matches. Bayern, with four wins from seven games, is currently in 15th place with 12 points.
In the 36-team tournament, the top eight teams will automatically progress to the Round of 16. Teams ranked 9th to 24th will play two-legged playoffs to secure a spot in the knockout stages.
For Bayern to qualify directly for the Round of 16, they need to win their match and hope for favorable results in other games. Kompany is not giving up hope.
“We’re playing at home, and this is a special place for us. Anything is possible here. We have no control over what happens in other matches, but everything is about our performance,” Kompany said.
He added, “Maybe (from other matches) we’ll learn that we need one or two more goals, and then we can take some additional risks.”
Bayern, six-time European champions, have struggled in the current competition, losing three of their four away matches against Aston Villa, Barcelona, and Feyenoord. Their most recent loss was a 3-0 defeat to Feyenoord on their own turf.
