Bayern backed after rivals suffer Gotze blow

BAYERN MUNICH continue to be heavily supported to win the Champions League final and Ladbrokes’ remaining standout 5-6 was gobbled up even before Borussia Dortmund announced Mario Gotze would miss the all-German Wembley showdown on Saturday.

Available at 21-20 when the prices first came out, Bayern have been popular throughout this month and they may yet go off even shorter than the current 4-5 as Jupp Heynckes’ side bid to make up for last season’s final heartbreak.

Bet365 and Boylesports also clipped Bayern and Dortmund can be backed at 19-5 with Jurgen Klopp now having to  cope without one of his best players for the biggest match of the season.

Gotze, who will move from Dortmund to Munich this summer, returned to training on Tuesday following a three-week lay-off but felt discomfort following the session and he said yesterday afternoon:

“The final was my goal and I’m incredibly sorry for not being able to help the team in this important game.”

Klopp has decent alternatives to play in the position behind striker Robert Lewandowski with Sebastian Kehl or Kevin Grosskreutz likely to step in for Gotze.

If Kehl was selected that would mean Ilkay Gundogan is pushed into a more advanced role and may explain why he has been backed from 25-1 to 20-1 with Paddy Power to be named as the man of the match, while Grosskreutz could come in at left midfield with Marco Reus then tucked inside in Gotze’s position.

Reus has also been cut with a couple of firms for the MOTM award in anticipation of him getting a more prominent position in the Dortmund side.

Grosskreutz, a utility player who even had a stint in goal against Hoffenheim on Saturday, would seem the most logical option to help nullify the threat of Arjen Robben and Philipp Lahm down Bayern’s extremely dangerous right flank.

Robben is favourite with most bookmakers to be named as Uefa’s man of the match but Ladbrokes quote him at 8-1 with Robert Lewandowski (Coral and Power) and Thomas Muller (bet365, Power and Ladbrokes) also available at that price in a wide-open betting heat.

Despite the absence of home interest, turnover is expected to be brisk given the attractive qualities of the two teams and bet365 have a free bet offer for the final.

Place a bet prior to kick-off and you will get an in-play free wager to the same matched stake up to a maximum of £50.