I’ve just checked in to my hotel in Munich, where I can finally relax for a bit before I start the pre-gaming on Leopoldstrasse. It’s been a rough 11 days since the draw for the Champions League quarter-finals. Originally, I was only going to fly over if we got the second leg in Munich; knowing that Schweini must sit out the first. But, when we drew United, that plan flew out the window. I’d immediately started clicking through websites to find flights, hotel accommodations and match tickets. Two hours later, my trip was set. And, I’ve spent the last week and a half, working overtime to pay for it all, wondering how I pulled it all together!

But, this isn’t about me…

Bayern Munich. Manchester United. Wow. And the first thing all of my United friends say to me? 1999. Ah, yes… I remember that match. It was the third time I’d ever cried while watching a match. (The first? Watching Fort Lauderdale High School lose to St. Thomas Aquinas my senior year of high school. The second being the legendary Germany-England shoot-out of 1990.)

Still isn’t about me…

Really, it’s about Arjen Robben. Bayern manager, Louis van Gaal, has been playing coy with the press over the severity of Robben’s calf strain. And, the latest reports seem to say that the Dutchman won’t feature in this first leg. But, he’s given an interview which came off like he was relishing this match, where other Bayern players are a bit more, shall we say… reticent? If LVG puts him on the bench, he will be playing at some point.

And it’s about Franck Ribery. The France international has been overshadowed, this season, by fellow winger, Robben. So, here’s his chance to shine. Gary Neville and Darren Fletcher will have the unfortunate task of trying to keep him under wraps on the right side. Let’s hope it doesn’t work out so well for the Manchester boys.

It’s also about Daniel van Buyten and Martin Demichelis vs. Wayne Rooney. SAF is sure to field his European 4-5-1 line-up, with Wayne being the lone striker. And, although Martin took all of his headers and jumped in to the fray against Stuttgart, despite the face mask (I call him “Phantom of the Opera” now, and my boys here in Munich call him “Zorro”), van Buyten’s got the height, if not the foot skills of late, to overpower Rooney in the air.

And, it’s about Phillip Lahm. Without Arjen Robben’s reluctance to cover back, the left back will have more room to roam. I’m expecting great things from our world-class defender.

And finally, it’s about history. With 2 wins, 4 draws and 1 defeat (yeah, yeah… stop with the “99‘s“), history is on our side. Reluctantly, I say we do not make it through this round; although, I am expecting a positive result, here, at home. God, would I love to be proven wrong! The realistic expectations by the club, at the start of the season, were to make it to the quarterfinals, win the DFB-Pokal and the Bundesliga. In all respects, so far, we’re meeting the criteria.

But, tonight, here in Muenchen, we’re gonna party like it’s 2010.

Please take a gander at Mark Payne’s very excellent Manchester United blog here.

And, as always, auf geht's Bayern!