da fazobetai： The Red Devils may be dreading their visit to the Allianz Arena after a disastrous start to the season, but they can exploit the Bavarians' weaknesses

da esoccer bet： Out of the frying pan and into the fire. Manchester United have had a harrowing start to the season in almost every sense imaginable, and for the first time ever have lost three of their opening five Premier League games. Just after a demoralising defeat by Brighton, they now begin their Champions League campaign away to Bayern Munich.

Of all the opponents United could have hoped to face next as they bid to pull themselves out of the giant hole they find themselves in, Bayern would be one of the last. The Bavarians have won 11 Bundesliga titles in a row and have not lost at home in the Champions League group stages for 10 years.

They have made an unbeaten start to the season in Germany while their already formidable attack is now led by Harry Kane, who United dreamed of signing in the summer. Kane has made a prolific start to life with his new club, scoring four goals in his opening four matches, while Rasmus Hojlund, the man United signed instead, is not yet fit enough to play 90 minutes for Erik ten Hag's side.

Given how Brighton, Arsenal, Tottenham and even the defeated Wolves and Nottingham Forest have exposed United defensively this season, Wednesday's match has the potential to get very ugly for the Red Devils, especially when considering how badly they have fared away from home in the last two seasons.

However, Bayern have some areas of vulnerability that United can exploit if they play their cards right. GOAL outlines some of the ways Ten Hag's side can get at Bayern and pull off an unlikely result that can kickstart their season…

GettyTarget Upamecano

Dayot Upamecano will have dreadful memories of his last two appearances in the Champions League. The France centre-back was given an utterly torrid time by Manchester City in both legs of Bayern's quarter-final tie.

In the first leg at the Etihad Stadium, he played his part in two of City's goals, being robbed by Jack Grealish before Bernardo Silva's header and then failing to pick up Erling Haaland. He also fell over when Grealish ran at him early in the game and almost gifted the England winger a goal after a mix-up with goalkeeper Yann Sommer.

Early in the second leg, Upamecano was shown a red card for bringing down Haaland, only to be spared by a VAR review which ruled that the striker was offside. England fans will also remember how Bukayo Saka ran Upamecano ragged in the World Cup quarter-final defeat to France.

He is undoubtedly Bayern's weakest link and there are various ways to get at him. Playing Marcus Rashford on the left wing will allow United's most dangerous player to run at Bayern's most vulnerable, while Hojlund has the strength and speed to trouble him through the middle. The Dane relished the battle with Gabriel Magalhaes on his debut at Arsenal and here is another opportunity to put his physical attributes to good use.

AdvertisementGettyGet Rashford out wide

Putting Upamecano under pressure is not the only reason to put Rashford on the left of the attack. It is by far his best position and the one he prefers. Ten Hag had little choice but to play Rashford as a centre-forward in United's first two matches against Wolves and Tottenham due to injuries to Hojlund and Anthony Martial, and he suffered as a result.

Rashford was far more effective against Nottingham Forest and Arsenal when he played off the left, getting an assist and a goal, respectively. Against Brighton, however, he played in a front two with Hojlund as Ten Hag tried out a diamond midfield formation in the absence of a right winger.

Rashford was still United's most dangerous player but it was far from the perfect performance. While he did spend a lot of the time playing down the left-hand side, he spent too much time centrally, where he has admitted he is not comfortable.

"Although I feel like centre-forward you've got less distance to cover to score simple goals, I do prefer left," he told Gary Neville on . "Left is easier to stay in the game, and from when I was young I've always wanted to be involved in the game. That's why I struggle playing centre-forward sometimes because of my patience.

"The angles of the runs that you make in behind… most of my game is running in behind and trying to stretch defences and give space to some of the other players, and I feel like I run too far inside sometimes and then I'm running backwards to get the ball. Whereas on the left it's more natural, feels more normal."

Ensuring Rashford can attack from the left is the best way for United to cause Bayern problems and it's crucial that their greatest asset plays where he knows he is at his most dangerous.

GettyGive Fernandes room to cause damage

The diamond formation Ten Hag used against Brighton also did not play to the strengths of Bruno Fernandes, United's most important all-round player. The Portuguese has excelled in a deeper role lately, allowing him to dictate play and launch incisive balls into the paths of Rashford or Alejandro Garnacho on the counter-attack.

United will inevitably have to play on the counter for large chunks of the game in Munich and Fernandes' vision for long, defence-splitting passes can be a lethal weapon. And to make the most of his qualities, he needs to sit a little deeper and not be as advanced as he was against Brighton.

Getty ImagesLet Onana dictate the play

Even though United ended up losing at Arsenal with two late strikes, Andre Onana's performance at the Emirates Stadium offered a blueprint for future away trips against top sides. The Cameroonian's passing and control of the ball was top notch, and the way he dictated United's play allowed them to keep the ball for long periods and beat the Gunners' press, as well as limiting the damage Mikel Arteta's side could do. As Johan Cruyff famously said, when you have the ball, the opposition cannot score.

While United don't want to turn into the sterile team in possession that they often were under Louis van Gaal, they need to be much better at controlling the ball. Witness, for example, how Brighton scored their second goal at Old Trafford after keeping the ball for 90 seconds and making 30 passes.

Onana holds the key to making United better in possession and if they can have the ball for stretches of the game they will also frustrate the home crowd, which could play into their hands.