Should Bayern Munich Be Feared in the Champions League Quarterfinals?

Should your club fear Bayern Munich and the explosiveness they displayed against Sporting Lisbon yesterday?

With Bayern Munich effectively laying the pipe to Sporting in record setting fashion, the question has to be asked: If your club draws Bayern in the quarterfinals, will you be happy or fearful?

Has the Bundesliga dropped off the map of European Football so much that a super club like Bayern would be looked at with relief?

There is no questioning the talent level of Jurgen Klinsmann’s squad, centered around world class French (and future Manchester United) midfielder Franck Ribery. 

The club can boast the exceptional talents of the two Polish-born German strikers Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose, along with the outstanding Azurri striker Luca Toni. 

Out on the wings, the club has one of the best attacking midfielders in Europe with the devastating Bastion Schweinsteiger, and at fullback, the forward thinking Philipp Lahm. 

Not to mention the unused US captain Landon Donovan (I had to throw that in there).

Entering into the second stage of the round of 16, Sporting Clube de Portugal captain Joao Moutinho conceded that his team was afraid of Bayern. Moutinho said: "It's hard to explain. We entered the game afraid, maybe with a little bit of fear due to the result of the first leg."

But can the same be said for the other clubs in the competition?

The Bundesliga is set to break the record for the most goals scored in a single season in the past two decades, but is this a sign that the league has great scorers or pitiful defenders? 

Are the defenders in the Bundesliga just too slow to be able to keep up with, say, Liverpool’s counter attack?

The German national squad has seen resurgence in the last few years with a strong performance in the World Cup and Euro 2008. 

Much of the national team's starting 11 are part of this Munich side. So why is no one fearing them?

I think the criticism of the Bundesliga and the lack of fear in the hearts of English, Spanish and Italian football fans is best illustrated with the success of two out of the top three clubs in the league.

Newly promoted TSG Hoffenheim and current league leaders Hertha Berlin are two sides without any real history in European competition.

If you put both of those clubs in the Premiership, where do you think they would finish?

So the question is: Are Munich the powerhouse that just destroyed Sporting without missing a beat, or are they the club that lost to FC Cologne on their own pitch just two weeks ago? 

Will you be happy or fearful if your club draws them for the quarterfinal? Who would you rather see your side meet? Who is the weakest puppy in the litter, or is there one? 

As good as Bayern might seem, I would be happy to draw them over any of the English sides or Barca. I don’t think Bayern will make it past the next round (so they’ll probably win it all!)