Bayern Munich need to find that escape-from-serious-trouble charm if they are to keep their hopes of clinching a second UEFA Champions League title in three seasons alive, following their abject performance against FC Porto in the first leg of the quarterfinal in Portugal.
Cut down by injuries, Bayern looked like a pale shadow of the usually dominant team, with mistakes from their defenders costing them dear as well in a 3-1 defeat.
Pep Guardiola vowed to find a way to qualify for the semifinals with an assured victory in the second leg – they will need a minimum two-goal victory, with 2-0 taking them through and 3-1 forcing extra time – and the Spaniard will now hope his Bayern Munich team answer with the expected performance on the pitch.
"The game is a big challenge, but when you're coach of a club like Bayern every day is a challenge," said the former Barcelona manager. "During the last few weeks, which have not been easy for us, I have learned a lot about my work.
"[Against Porto] we have to take more risks. That is normal after the game in Porto. I am optimistic and realistic. After a 3-1 loss in Porto, it will not be easy at all, but I am optimistic we will go through to the semifinals."
Porto will know, despite their brilliant performance in the first leg, where the almost-forgotten Ricardo Quaresma scored two goals, the tie is far from over. An early goal conceded, and suddenly this dream quarterfinal could turn into a nightmare. Frustrating Bayern for as long as possible, while making most of the opportunities presented on the counter-attack will be vital if Porto are to move into the semifinals.
"The way we approach the game will remain the same," said Porto manager Julen Lopetegui. "We are a team without any big surprises and quite predictable: when we have the ball we want to attack, when we don't have the ball we want to get it back.
"I don't waste energy and time thinking about what will Bayern do. We need to focus on ourselves. We need to put into practice everything we have trained for. We have great ambition.
"It will be a very difficult test but we must try to find simple answers. We are playing against Bayern, one of the best teams in the world."
Team news: Bayern Munich: Arjen Robben, so crucial to Bayern's attacking groove, will still be missing from the lineup, but the other superstar winger Franck Ribery could return from an ankle injury, even if it remains unlikely. David Alaba, Mehdi Benatia and Javi Martinez remain sidelined
FC Porto: Brazilian fullbacks Alex Sandro and Danilo are suspended, while on-loan Barcelona forward Cristian Tello is out with a thigh injury.
Expected lineups: Bayern Munich: Neuer; Rafinha, Boateng, Badstuber, Bernat; Alonso, Lahm, Thiago; Gotze, Lewandowski, Muller.
FC Porto: Fabiano; Ricardo, Maicon, Marcano, Martins Indi; Herrera, Casemiro, Oliver Torres; Quaresma, Martinez, Brahimi.
Where to Watch Live
Bayern Munich's second leg quarterfinal against FC Porto is set for an 8.45 pm CET (12.15 am IST, 7.45 pm BST, 2.45 pm ET) start with live coverage in India on Ten Sports. Viewers in India can also catch the match via live streaming online on Ten Sports Live.
Audience in the UK can watch the quarterfinal second leg Live on Sky Sports 1, with the live stream option on Sky Go. Catch the game live in the US on Fox Sports, while the last-eight game can also be live streamed on Fox Soccer 2 Go.
Viewers across the world can also watch Bayern Munich vs FC Porto via live streaming on UEFA Video.
