Heavyweights Bayern intend to show full breadth of envied talent pool against Villarreal

As the team bus of Bayern Munich, a club on course for their 10th successive Bundesliga title, exited Spain’s Mediterranean highway towards the small town where they will contest a place in the Champions League semi-final on Wednesday, nobody was being coy about status. “We are the favourites,” acknowledged Julian Nagelsmann, Bayern’s head coach about the meeting with underdogs Villarreal.

He could hardly say otherwise and keep a straight face. The last outing of the Bayern juggernaut in this competition was the 7-1 victory, in Munich, over RB Salzburg; the last time Nagelsmann brought his team to Spain, they beat Barcelona 3-0, in the group phase.

Villarreal may be one of the more potent attacking sides in La Liga, but they are only seventh in the table. Besides, their 48 goals from 30 matches so far this season are not so different than the 45 Robert Lewandowski has scored all on his own in 38 club matches for Bayern since August.

At the same time, Nagelsmann knows that within the 23,000 Estadio de Ceramica lurks a seasoned giant-killer. Villarreal made it into the last eight of club football’s principal competition having made as good use as any club ever has of the entry-route that allows the Europa League holders into the Champions League when that club have not finished in the domestic league positions that normally grant access.

In this campaign, they have survived the impact of Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored in both Manchester United’s victories over Villarreal in the group stage, and of the most expensive signing of 2022 so far.

Dusan Vlahovic scored within seconds of the first leg of their last-16 tie against Juventus. Villarreal still ended up inflicting a headline-making scoreline on Juve - 3-0 in the second