Bayern Munich Must Be Cautious on Virgin Champions League Territory vs. Shakhtar

Bayern Munich were paired with unfamiliar opponents in Monday's Champions League round of 16 draw. The German giants will take on Ukrainian Premier Liga champions Shakhtar Donetsk in the first knockout round of Europe's most elite club football competition.

Bayern and Shakhtar have no previous history head-to-head, and the Bundesliga giants will have to be careful as they head into uncharted waters.

The first step will be booking the right flights. Contrary to their name, Shakhtar have relocated from the war-torn Donbass area in Eastern Ukraine and all season long have called the western city of L'viv their home, using the previously vacant arena that had been built for Euro 2012 as their stadium.

Shakhtar's move from Donetsk to the historically nationalist and pro-European Union L'viv was never going to be easy. Their owner, oligarch Rinat Akhmetov, has been accused by many involved in Ukraine's western movement of putting business first and toeing the most financially convenient political line, be that supporting pro-Moscow forces in the Donbass area or aligning with Kyiv.

Indeed, with Shakhtar's move and the turmoil in their home region has come a decrease in their consistency. Winners of five consecutive Ukrainian league titles, the Hirnyk (miners) are now five points behind Dynamo Kyiv in the table.

Although initially given a not-entirely-warm reception, Shakhtar have found their support in L'viv. Locals can be regularly found wearing scarves bearing both the club's crest and traditional Ukrainian embroidery that symbolizes a pro-western stance. In spite of an economic crisis that has seen Ukraine's currency plummet by nearly 50 percent this year, Shakhtar sold out their most recent Champions League home fixture against Bilbao. And at times, they've proven a very formidable side even on the international stage.

Bayern fans will fondly recall their 7-1 win over Roma on October 21, as they became the first side in Champions League history to score five first-half goals away from home. That same night, Shakhtar did them one better with a 7-0 win against Belarusian side BATE, with six goals scored before the half-time whistle. Luiz Adriano made history in that match as he became the second player in Champions League history (after Lionel Messi) to score five in a single game. The 27-year-old, who in his career has scored 20 Champions League goals, leads this year's competition with nine.

Scoring against Bayern is a very different task from finding the net against BATE, but Pep Guardiola will need to be extra careful as he makes plans to keep Adriano quiet. On the whole, Shakhtar are a very dangerous side, and Mircea Lucescu has managed to create a successful side with plenty of experience in the Champions League. And to their advantage, Shakhtar will face Bayern without the burden of expectation on their shoulders: By all accounts, the Germans will be expected to win.

In all likelihood, Bayern will indeed advance to the quarterfinals for a fourth consecutive season. They are out-and-out favorites to progress but will have to be careful to avoid what would amount to disaster. Anything can happen in 180 minutes, and Shakhtar are an experienced side, one with little pressure and some quality players. They just might pull off an upset. Just don't count on it.

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