Bayern Munich vs Manchester United: What Needs To Happen

Bayern Munich stunned the football community by pulling off a last minute 2-1 victory against Manchester United at the Allianz Arena last Tuesday. Despite a commanding performance by Bayern, they're not out of the woods quite yet.

Securing a win or a tie at Old Trafford will be anything but any easy task for the South Germans. Here are a few things the Bavarians need to do in order to see themselves through to the next round of this competition.

Score!

Trying to scrape by with a 0-0 tie in Manchester will simply not cut it. If coach Louis Van Gaal produces a side that is aiming to sit on the 2-1 first leg victory with a defensive approach, not only will this give the supporters a heart-attack, but it will be a recipe for disaster. Only one goal by Manchester will advance them to the semifinals.

This shouldn't endorse reckless offensive play however, but Bayern should be looking to play sensible, attacking football. Plus, one goal by the Germans will put the pressure on Manchester, needing to then score at least two goals in order to tie. This would be a tall order for a Manchester side without their leading goal-scorer.

Stay Focused 

This may seem like an obvious statement, but some players may be inclined to look ahead to the Semi-Finals, with Bayern ahead with a 2-1 lead, and Manchester missing their primary attacking threat in Wayne Rooney. Bayern Munich are coming off an impressive week, and this could be the cause of a bit of over-confidence.

Despite the absence of Wayne Rooney, Manchester United is still a world class side, and they will certainly be looking to bounce back from this weekend's Premier League loss against title contenders Chelsea.

If there's any coach Bayern Munich should NOT underestimate, it is Sir Alex Ferguson. He's seen tougher circumstances than this, and will without a doubt be motivated to set the record straight with a win against Bayern on Wednesday.

Produce a Sound Performance Defensively 

Ever since Demichelis has been back in the squad, knock-on-wood, the defense has performed much better than in recent weeks. Games such as those against against Frankfurt, and Fiorentina left many fans questioning the integrity of their back four. It seemed that any time the opposing offense would approach, a sense of discomfort came over supporters, hoping their defense would be able to avert another juvenile blunder. 

Make no mistake about it, Manchester know the conditions under which they can advance, and will assuredly be looking to score all 90 minutes. Amateur mistakes will not go unpunished. If the defense which performed against Schalke and the first leg of Man-U show up, there's a good chance of Bayern advancing. 

If the defense of games against teams such as Fiorentina or Stuttgart turn out, it will undoubtedly be a solemn flight home to Munich for the boys in red.

Sounds pretty self-explanatory right? Score goals, and don't let your opponent score any either. Despite the obvious nature of these statements, it may not be so obvious to some. I am highlighting the mindset under which this team needs to perform in order to advance.

This much is certain: This will NOT be an easy game, and Bayern are NOT yet through to the semifinals. Anything less than a world-class performance by Bayern Munich will not be enough to secure a semifinal berth.

Prediction:  1-1