LIVERPOOL V BAYERN: THE X FACTORS, THE VIBE AND THE PREDICTION: WE CATCH THE FEELS FROM MUNICH

          Jurgen Klopp walked naked across the dressing room, his face shrouded in red and gray war paint, showing he was one of "the guys".

He threw a bottle of Tequila against the wall and defiantly waved a red YNWA towel and screamed unintelligible German swear words, his jugular trembling. 
          He is up for this....
          But are we????
Liverpool and Bayern will square off today in what should be a fascinating 2nd leg, after things ended in a slightly entertaining 0-0 chess match at Anfield.

    That could be what gives Bayern Munich the advantage to advance: the fact that Liverpool didn't take care of business at home with a victory,

or even a convincing performance. Then again, they were without both starting center backs and Roberto Firmino.

     That made an obvious impression on Klopp and how he prepared his men for that 1st leg tie and now this 2nd leg: Klopp knows full well that when his squad is fit and ready (with at least Virgil Van Dijk returning from his yellow card suspension from the 1st leg and Firmino back and scoring) he has every belief that his Liverpool side can outscore Bayern Munich given the precarious nature of a 1st leg 0-0 stalemate.

      Road goals only come into the equation  (due to this scoreline) when and if Bayern and Liverpool draw.  

      This match could turn out to be as slow as the first leg, of course if things are allowed to get chippy and cynical play isn't punished. Bayern also have a propensity to pass the ball to death, almost passing for passing's sake.

       It's up to Liverpool to get an early goal, turning Bayern's patient, probing build-up into frenetic, desperate and aimless passing, which would turn into even more interceptions by Liverpool and counter attacks from Mane, Salah and Firmino. 

       If Liverpool can't score within the first 50 minutes of the match, they're in for some big trouble. Bayern have no problem leaving it late, but their style of play dictates that they must have control of the ball...at all costs...frankly, if they don't, Mats Hummels is incredibly exposed in behind.          It's only when the German (2014 World Cup hero and 2018 World Cup zero) is on the ball that he's in control of the zone he's in charge of at the back. Hummels' anticipation skills used to be otherworldly (and at times at Anfield they were again), but too many times have we seen the German beaten for pace and stretched out to the wings, leaving a gaping hole in behind.

      Liverpool have a lot to worry about on the wings though, where most of their assists have been coming from (thanks to the boots of Andrew Robertson at Left back and Trent Alexander-Arnold at right back):

The presence of Bayern's Joshua Kimmich at right back, Serge Gnabry at Right wing / right forward and on the left

David Alaba, Thiago Alcantara just ahead of him in midfield and Kingsley Coman, spells out: cancellation.

        I believe the wings will be canceled out in this contest by the bevy of talented players (in both attack and defense), with tackles, blocks, cynical fouls (after being briefly dribbled past) to shut down a great sequence; the speed of these players and the frustration of pressing will hamper the ability and desire of one (or more) of these sets of fullbacks. 

        Whichever fullback pair takes some resistance and sticks it out in the long run will take their club over the line. Which fullback pair maintains the pace, the power and skill to attack with quality crosses and the patience / stamina to wait for the cutback run (instead of just smashing in a blind cross due to fatigue) will rise above and take their club over the line in this momentous Round of 16 2nd leg. 

        While Liverpool's front three have been scoring goals (nearly as many as at this point last year), the slick, organized and eloquent play that defined the first two seasons of the Mane-Firmino combination and then especially when Salah came onto the scene last year, their assists between each other had fans, pundits and even opponents delirious. 

      This season has seen a lot of Liverpool goals, but not as many assists. Sometimes  this means nothing in futbol as to how well the team created the goald, but for the front 3 of Liverpool this has been an issue this season, with luck contributing 3 of the Reds 4 goals on the weekend and many more beyond that: where fortunate bounces and deflections created openings and goals that wouldn't have necessarily been conjured by Mane, Salah or Firmino. 

         Could this lack of cohesion and panache in the final third between the front three hurt Liverpool against top defensive opposition such as Bayern, a team that has already shut them out over 90 minutes?

         We don't know how they will fare, though we do know that Serge Gnabry and Robert Lewandowski have formed an exquisite partnership, combining for 7 goals on the season already, a tally that's beginning to rival the 9 combined goals the Polish striker shares with Joshua Kimmich. 

        Gnabry, after seeing his substitute Franck Ribery impress with 3 assists in 9 minutes on the weekend, will surely deliver and max out his optimal abilities, with this match being the biggest of his career, without a doubt.

         And if this match stays bogged down or tied late, look for Ribery and James Milner to make an impact from the bench, but we also feel Xherdan Shaqiri

has a point to prove against his former club and to Jurgen Klopp and (if actually given the opportunity to play) would surely score or assist, or his dynamism and pace would help make a goal happen regardless.
          Shaqiri and Gnabry are the X factors, the fullbacks are the most important players on the pitch and Ribery is dangerous, creative and explosive from the bench. Liverpool are more solid defensively, both clubs share extremely potent goalkeepers, both clubs lead Europe in shots attempted per game and both clubs love to pass the ball.
          Sounds like fun, eh?
         This match will begin with an early Bayern goal: Thomas Muller heading in a Kimmich cross, though Liverpool's pressing will force Boateng or Sule and Hummels into mistakes at the back, creating an Alexander-Arnold corner that Van Dijk scores from to make it 1-1 in the first 25 minutes.
          The action will get crazier, with shots off of the post, yellow cards and Mane colliding with Neuer after chasing a Robertson long ball into the Munich box. Shaqiri will come off of the bench, opening the game up further.
          Bayern regains the lead with a Thiago Alcantara assist to Gnabry, but due to a pair of rushed, bad substitutions from the German club's manager Niko Kovac will cost them the control in midfield they had until then, ushering Liverpool to gain more possession.
          In the final ten minutes, Salah will be ripped down by Sule or Boateng in the box for a penalty. But the Egyptian watches as his penalty is saved by Neuer and Liverpool look doomed. Stoppage time arrives and a Milner corner is deflected around the box, spilling to Firmino who lays it off to an open Shaqiri by the penalty spot. The Swiss winger buries it and breaks the Munich resistance, with the match ending at 2-2, Liverpool through on away goals.

Tell us your prediction!!!