Lack of pressure makes Bayern a stonking bet

I'M not quite sure that the prospect of Bayern Munich overtaking Barcelona in Uefa's co-efficient table is quite the motivation us punters are impressed by when sizing up the German mob's trip to Manchester.

They'd need Barcelona to lose in Nicosia as well, but that, according to Bayern big cheese Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, is the carrot being dangled in front of our Bavarian chums at Manchester City and is a reason why they will have their serious heads on.

As carrots go, I've got to say it's a little bit scrawny.

Don't get me wrong, I'm sure Uefa's co-efficient table is indeed a splendid read before bedtime, but let's be honest, Bayern have already qualified and they'll just be strolling around the Etihad, pinging it here, pinging it there, without a care in the world.

They could even take a leaf out of the I'm A Celebrity recruitment book and send out a bunch of complete nobodies, but either way the stakes are not very high for Bayern.

And with that in mind, I reckon that makes them a top bet. The pressure is on City big time and I'm not sure they're to be trusted with the stakes being ratcheted up. And as Karl-Heinz says, those co-efficient rankings aren't to be taken lightly.

So City won't win, but Chelsea will in the night's other Anglo-German dust-up. The Special One hates to be upstaged so the thought of having to share the technical area at Schalke with a man who has (unlike him) led Chelsea to Champions League glory, will have him bristling.