Premier League focus match: Manchester City vs Tottenham Hotspur, can Guardiola break the demons?

At 3:00 am on September 14, Group A of the Champions League Group A ushered in the focus match, with Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich sitting at the Allianz Stadium, against the Olympic Super League powerhouse Red Bull Salzburg. This showdown is not only a collision between the "leaders" of the Bundesliga and the Olympic Super League, but also a battle between the "old giants" and the "youth storm" - Bayern is eager to use victory to consolidate the top position in the group, while Red Bull Salzburg is looking forward to taking advantage of the away game to replicate the unpopularity of drawing Bayern last season.

Bayern: Kane leads the "aircraft carrier", and needs to break the "slow heat" at home

Allianz Stadium has always been Bayern's "fortress" - 8 wins and 2 draws in the last 10 Champions League home games, and the offensive firepower averaged 3.1 goals per game made the opponent frightened. Kane, who joined at a sky-high price this summer, became the brightest highlight: the English striker has scored 7 goals in 6 games after joining, including 2 goals and 1 assist in the Champions League. The "frontfield trident" formed by him, Sane and Gnabrey, can not only rely on Kane's mid-lane fulcrum to make the ball, but also use the speed of the wing to break through and tear open the defense line. In the 4-2-3-1 system of coach Tuchel, the dispatch of midfielder Kimmich (averages 3.2 key passes per game) and Goretzka's back shot (3 goals in the Champions League last season) are the keys to the series of offense and defense.

However, Bayern has hidden hidden dangers of "slow heat" recently. In the league, they conceded goals first and then reversed. They only defeated the weak team 1-0 in the first round of the Champions League group stage, and their coordination during the rotation of the defense line was slightly loose - If substitute central defender De Ligt appears, they need to be wary of the defensive loopholes caused by his three mistakes in the last two games. In addition, the injury of full-back Paval made Alfonso Davis frequently step forward, and the gap behind him may become a breakthrough for Red Bull Salzburg.

Salzburg Red Bull: Youth Storm hides the "killer", and counterattack is the trump card

Although Salzburg Red Bull is not as famous as Bayern, it hides the confidence to "scramble". This team, which is famous for youth training, has half of the players in the team who are under 23 years old, but has the characteristics of a "hard bone" in the European game - it drew 1-1 away from home last season, and drew 4 away from Bundesliga teams in the last five Champions League games. The 3-4-2-1 system of coach Yaisler focuses on "fast counterattack": forward Okafu (4 goals in the Champions League last season) is extremely fast (10.3 seconds in 100 meters), winger Adeyemi (just transferred from Red Bull this summer to Dortmund, against his old owner in this game), has also contributed 2 goals and 1 assist in the last 3 European games. The "lightning forward line" formed by the two is specializing in the opponent's defense line to return to defense.

What is more important is their midfield control. Slovenian midfielder Shevcic, 21, (2.8 steals per game) and Austrian international Webber, 22, can both press and steal the ball with high posts and launch a counterattack with short passes. When they tied Bayern away from the Champions League last season, they relied on three quick counterattacks to create threats. When they met again, this "grab-pass-rush" tactic is still the key to breaking the situation.

Win-and-loss: Kane's "domination" VS Red Bull's "execution"

The core of this showdown lies in whether Bayern can hold back the counterattack of Red Bull and whether Red Bull can withstand Bayern's strong attack. For Bayern, Kane's performance is key - if he can attract two defensive players in the middle, Sane and Gnabry's wide altitude will be magnified, and the momentum of the Allianz Stadium may allow the team to break the deadlock early. Red Bulls of Salzburg need to do two things: one is the steal efficiency in the midfield (need to maintain more than 12 per game per game), and the other is the passing accuracy during counterattack (their success rate of counterattacks was only 68% last season, and if it can be increased to more than 75%, it may create murderous intent).

Judging from the historical confrontation, although Bayern has the advantage, Red Bull Salzburg has never "feared" the giants - they defeated AC Milan 2-1 away last season, and won all 5 games this season. This game is likely to be one-sided: Bayern may take the initiative by relying on home advantage, but if Red Bull's youth storm can seize 1-2 opportunities, it may not be impossible to score away points. The score may be 2-1 (Bayern wins) or 1-1 draw. After all, Red Bull's counterattack has always been harboring the ruthlessness of "just bite and hurt".