Focus on Bayern Munich ahead of return leg against Liverpool

Liverpool face Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 encounter with the tie goalless from their meeting at Anfield.

Here, Press Association Sport looks at the Bundesliga champions.

Form

Since the turn of the year Bayern have won eight games, drawn one – at Anfield – and lost just one. Saturday’s 6-0 win over seventh-placed Wolfsburg was Bayern’s biggest win since beating Borussia Dortmund by the same scoreline almost a year ago.

They have scored 11 goals and conceded just one in their last two league games, allowing them to move ahead of Dortmund at the top of the Bundesliga on goal difference. They have lost just once at home in all competitions this season, winning 10 and drawing four.

European history

The five-time European champions have won their last four home matches against Premier League opposition and their last five two-legged ties against English teams, while they have not lost at this stage of the competition since an away-goals defeat at the hands of Inter Milan in 2010-11.

Bayern have won all but two of the 23 European ties in which they drew the first leg away from home. One of the two exceptions, though, came against Liverpool in 1981 – the only tie Bayern have lost when the first game finished goalless.

Key players

Striker Robert Lewandowski has scored 29 goals in 34 club appearances this season, along the way setting a new Bundesliga record of 196 goals by a foreign player. He has scored four in his last two matches after three in his previous 10.

Arjen Robben returned to training last week having not played since November because of a thigh problem. France international Kingsley Coman trained this week after missing the last two matches with a hamstring injury.

Manager

Nico Kovac has seemingly been under pressure for most of the season, although the club’s return to the top of the Bundesliga this weekend may have lifted some of the scrutiny.

The former Croatia international began coaching after retirement as a player and after spells with Salzburg and Croatia’s youth teams, he became senior national team boss in October 2013, guiding them to the 2014 World Cup via the play-offs.

Sacked in September 2015, he got a second chance in club football at Eintracht Frankfurt the following March. After guiding the club to eighth in the Bundesliga and winning their first trophy since 1988, the German Cup, he was appointed Bayern manager at the end of last season.