London, Sep 26: After beginning the season in rampant style in both the Bundesliga and in Europe, Bayern Munich will look to cut big-spending upstart Manchester City down to size in the standout game in the second round of Champions League group matches.
Bayern opened its bid for a fifth title in Europe's elite competition with a comprehensive 2-0 victory at Villarreal, and has scored 21 goals without conceding in six straight wins to take command of the fledgling German league.
However, Tuesday's match at home to City, whose expensively assembled squad is looking to threaten Europe's established order, provides Bayern with its biggest challenge so far this season.
City, which is level on points with Premier League leader Manchester United after six games, cannot afford to lose at the Allianz Arena having begun Group A play in its maiden Champions League campaign with a 1-1 home draw with Napoli.
"The way we are playing, we can lose only through our own doing," Bayern captain Philipp Lahm said.
Bayern's latest victim in the Bundesliga was fellow Champions League entrant Bayer Leverkusen, which was swept aside 3-0 in such convincing style on Saturday that Leverkusen's director Rudi Voeller said Jupp Heynckes' team is currently playing at the level of Barcelona and Real Madrid.
"It's going to be difficult to beat us if we play like that," Bayern midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger said.
Despite being a Champions League novice, City has been billed as one of the competition's favorites but wasn't the only leading team to fail to start with a win a two weeks ago.
Defending champion Barcelona and last season's beaten finalist Manchester United were also held to draws -- by AC Milan and Benfica respectively -- but both should bounce back with victories this week.
Fresh from scoring 13 goals in Spanish league wins against Osasuna and Atletico Madrid over the last two weekends, Barcelona travels to Belarussian underdog BATE Borisov in Group H.
"Any team can beat us but if we do things well, the people who come to see us will have a good time," Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said. "Let's see if we're able to keep up this level. That's the challenge."
After scoring his second hat trick of the season in the match against Atletico, Argentina forward Lionel Messi looks in prime form and will attempt to maintain his good combination in attack with new signing Cesc Fabregas.
Milan, which drew 2-2 at the Camp Nou but has won just one of its first four matches in Serie A, is at home to Viktoria Plzen, the competition newcomer which drew 1-1 with Borisov in its first match.
United hosts Swiss team Basel and has a raft of injury problems to contend with, after Wayne Rooney (hamstring) joined defenders Nemanja Vidic, Chris Smalling and Rafael and midfielders Tom Cleverley and Michael Carrick on the sidelines. Mexico striker Javier Hernandez also came off with a dead leg early in the 1-1 draw with Stoke in the Premier League and is a doubt.
The three-time winners still have a deep squad to fall back on, although United midfielder Darren Fletcher is cautious ahead of home games against Basel and then Otelul Galati, an unknown quantity from Romania.
"Some people expect you to just walk over teams like that and win comfortably -- it's never as easy as that though," Fletcher said. "We must have the right attitude and make sure we perform."
Otelul Galati, which lost 2-1 to Basel a two weeks ago, hosts Benfica on Tuesday.
After Bayern-Man City, the other high-profile game on matchday two sees Real Madrid and Ajax -- winners of 13 European Cups between them -- meet at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday.
Real is bidding to back up a 1-0 away win at Dinamo Zagreb and will be buoyed by Saturday's 6-2 rout of Rayo Vallecano in the Spanish league, when Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat trick.
Zagreb visits Lyon, which drew 0-0 with Ajax.
Inter Milan slipped to a shock 1-0 home defeat to Trabzonspor to open up Group B but will hope a change in coach, with Claudio Ranieri replacing Gian Piero Gasperini, achieves the desired effect ahead of a tricky trip to CSKA Moscow.
"Ranieri has given us a lot of order in very little time. Now we're heading to Moscow with confidence," Inter captain Javier Zanetti said.
Trabzonspor hosts Lille aiming for back-to-back wins.
On Wednesday, Chelsea forward Juan Mata makes his return to Valencia -- the team that sold him this summer -- in a game between Group E's biggest teams, while Leverkusen hosts Genk.
In Group F, early leader Marseille hosts Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal is at home to Olympiakos. Arsenal and Dortmund are the favorites to progress from the group but drew 1-1 in their opening game.
Apoel Nicosia and FC Porto attempt to build on matchday-one victories in Group G when they take on Shakhtar Donetsk and Zenit St. Petersburg respectively. AP
