City tipped to benefit from German’s absence

Ottmar Hitzfeld, the man who guided Bayern Munich to the domestic treble as recently as 2008, believes that the German giants are only a shadow of themselves without key playmaker Bastian Schweinsteiger, thus boosting Manchester City's hopes of Champions League progress.

In order to qualify for the Round of 16, the Citizens must get a result from Bayern's visit to the Eastlands next week while also hoping that Napoli fall to Villarreal.