UEFA Champions League: Manchester United at Bayern Munich, Lyon Hosts Bordeaux

The quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League start hours from now with matches in Munich and Lyon, each seeing favorites start their semifinal quest on the road.

Using a term like favorites will always engender disagreement, but whether you think Manchester United will beat Bayern Munich, you have to acknowledge they should be considered favorites.  You can look at Champions League performance or league form.  

In Champions League, United destroyed Milan in the last round while Bayern barely advanced over Fiorentina.  There are five places that separate Milan from Fiorentina in Serie A.

In league, Manchester United has surged to the English Premier League lead on the wave of five straight wins and a 4-0 weekend win over Bolton.  Bayern Munich has last two in a row and given the Bundesliga's lead to Schalke 04.

Just like Milan, Bayern Munich has a problem matching up against the right flank of Manchester United's attack.  If Martin Demichelis is healthy, Holger Badstuber will be at left back.  Else, it will be either Diego Contento or David Alaba.  Regardless, Antonio Valencia will be able to consistently provide service to Wayne Rooney.

Bayern's best player, Arjen Robben, is a doubt with an injury picked-up this weekend.  As I discussed at Set Piece Analysts, that might force Louis van Gaal to deviate from a plan that was likely to fail.

After the jump, the all-French match-up, but first, your picks:

The difference between Lyon and Bordeaux is imperceptible.  Over the course of a season, the traits that make Bordeaux successful have led them to better league success; however, in one match, where Lyon can focus and allow its attacking talent is as likely to express itself, the match-up point toward a toss-up.

But Bordeaux has made a habit of winning toss-ups over the last three years, in large part due to their set piece prowess.  If you don't foul the Girondins, you will likely beat them.  But everybody seems to foul Bordeaux eventually, opening the avenue to the only consistent way Laurent Blanc's team has to score goals.

Bordeaux would have notable advantages over Lyon in midfield and defense, but with Alou Diarra (suspension) and Marc Planus (injury) out, Lyon will not have to rely on their wing play for their attack.  Miralem Pjanic will have en easier time in leg one than leg two.  Lyon will need to take advantage of that today.

Because of these disadvantages, Blanc might elect to hold-out at Stade Gerland and hope for a 0-0, 0-1, or 1-0 - all Girondins specialities.  Getting Diarra and possibly Planus back next week, Bordeaux would be slight favorites to turn the tie around.  Claude Puel needs to set-up his team to get a couple of goals, if for no other reason than to force Bordeaux into a more open game, one which should favor Lyon.

With Bordeaux coming off a 3-1 loss this weekend to Marseille, OL supporters have reason to be excited.  Marseille is a very ambitious team (sometimes, foolhardily so), but in talent and set-up, they are relatively similar to Lyon.

More breakdown of the match-ups, here, but your thoughts:  Who will win, and why.  Give them to me, below.