The Reds go into the game having already qualified for the Round of 16. The priority now is to secure top position in the group. A win in Moscow alone cannot secure first place, as Manchester City would have to fail to beat Plzen, who are rooted to the bottom of the group without any points. The more likely scenario is that the match between Bayern and Manchester City in December will determine the winners of the group. However, victory against CSKA would put the Germans in an “amazing position,” as Uli Hoeneß said. Lahm added: ”We want to win, and we want to top the group.”
CSKA will do their best to stop Bayern. The Russians, who are fourth in their domestic league, have won their last four competitive matches and can secure the Europa League spot as third in the Champions League group with a win against Bayern. “Playing in Moscow in the Champions League is never easy,” Robben said. “We have to give a focused performance.”
According to club president Hoeneß, Guardiola's team cannot take the game “lightly,” but he also trusts the Bayern stars: ”The team has shown they perform well under pressure and when they’re favourites.” Guardiola reckons the game against Moscow will be a “question of our mental strength,” after the exhausting match against Dortmund, especially as CSKA are always “hard to play” in November. The Bayern coach is without Mario Mandzukic, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Franck Ribéry, Xherdan Shaqiri, Claudio Pizarro and Diego Contento, all due to injuries.
Guardiola knows his team will have to perform “super, super well” if they are to wake up on Thursday morning knowing the three points are safely in the bag. The omens are hardly the best after a turbulent journey, but this is no excuse. “We have a lot of confidence!” Robben declared.
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