A man who played midfield for both clubs thinks the German champions have the upper hand heading into a Massive last-16 tie after this month.
Bayern Munich ought to be considered favourites in their Champions League clash against Chelsea, according to Michael Ballack, who believes Frank Lampard’s lack of managerial experience will count against his side.
Chelsea will host Bayern in the first leg of their last-16 tie on February 25, with the reverse fixture in Allianz Arena set to take place three weeks later.
The Blues qualified from Group H in the second spot behind Valencia, finishing above last season’s semi-finalists Ajax after recording an impressive win in the Johan Cruyff Arena.
Lampard has also managed to guide Chelsea to the Premier League’s top four because replacing Maurizio Sarri at the hot seat, but the group has dropped 33 points behind leaders Liverpool after 25 fixtures amid an inconsistent run of results.
Bayern, meanwhile, secured six wins from six to advance to the next round of the Champions League as Group B winners, with a 7-2 victory away at Tottenham serving as an empathic screen of intent.
The reigning Bundesliga winners will also be on course to retain their domestic crown, but the European Cup remains their ultimate goal after seven decades of disappointment in the contest.
Ballack, who enjoyed successful spells at both Chelsea and Bayern during his career, believes the German outfit have a “big advantage” heading in their trip to Stamford Bridge after coming through a tricky Autumn period which saw head coach Niko Kovac sacked.
“Bayern are favourites, for many reasons,” Ballack said. “Experience speaks strongly in their favor.
“Chelsea’s transfer ban has compelled them to place their faith in young players. Their manager is inexperienced and new in his job, and that is a big advantage for Bayern.
“The performance levels of Bayern’s players are another plus for them. They are more stable than they were last fall.”
\The prior Germany international did, however, acknowledge that Lampard has a lot of potential within his ranks at Chelsea, with the rise to prominence of a number of academy stars holding them in good stead to challenge Bayern for a spot in the last eight of the Champions League.
“Chelsea have a young group, which has the potential to explode,” Ballack added. “They’ve mostly young players, a bit like Borussia Dortmund.”
