ROME - Napoli relish a challenge and cannot ask for a bigger one that attempting to break down Bayern Munich's almost impenetrable defence in their Champions League meeting on Tuesday.

Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has kept a clean sheet for a club record 12 games, the latest a 4-0 demolition of Hertha Berlin in the Bundesliga on Saturday.

Napoli have been inconsistent this season but have already showed that they are at their most dangerous against top teams with a 3-1 win over Serie A champions AC Milan and a 3-0 win at Inter Milan.

Walter Mazzarri's team also have a formidable record of their own to defend, having remained unbeaten at home in nine matches since their return to European competition in 2008 following a 13-year absence.

Bayern lead Group A with six points from two games while Napoli, clearly relishing their debut in the group stage, are second with four and their clash is arguably the pick of this week's Champions League meetings.

Despite their inconsistencies in Serie A this season, including a 2-1 defeat at home to Parma on Saturday, Napoli have kept a clean sheet in their last six European home games.

Bayern, however, are clearly the in-form team, with coach Jupp Heynckes having enjoyed a spectacular start to his third stint at the Bavarian club.

Bayern have won 12 of their 14 competitive games this season, conceding only one goal in the process.

They have also been potent in attack, scoring 35 goals with Mario Gomez netting 14 of those.

"At the moment Bayern are playing a kind of football you do not see every day," said Heynckes. "The whole team is putting in top performances."

Heynckes crossed paths with Napoli in his first spell as Bayern coach when the clubs met in the 1988/89 UEFA Cup semi-finals, Napoli taking a 2-0 advantage in the first leg with Careca and Andrea Carnevale scoring.

Brazilian Careca struck twice more in the 2-2 return in Germany before a Napoli side also including Diego Maradona beat VfB Stuttgart in the final to claim their first European trophy.

The Italians will once again have a South American strikeforce with Uruguayan Edinson Cavani, who scored 26 Serie A goals last season, lining up alongside Ezequiel Lavezzi in attack.

Bulgarian Goran Pandev, whose late goal for Inter Milan knocked Bayern out of the competition in the second stage last season, is unlikely to play as he still due to injury.

Bayern are without Dutch winger Arjen Robben, who is sidelined for several weeks with a groin injury.

 

Possible teams:

Napoli: 1-Morgan de Sanctis; 8-Andrea Dossena, 6-Salvatore Aronica, 28-Pablo Cannavaro, 14-Hugo Campagnaro; 18-Camilo Zuniga, 23-Walter Gargano, 88-Gokhan Inler, 17-Marek Hamsik; 7-Edinson Cavani, 22-Ezequiel Lavazzi

Bayern Munich: 1-Manuel Neuer; 17-Jerome Boateng, 5-Daniel van Buyten, 28-Holger Badstuber, 21-Philipp Lahm; 44-Anatoliy Tymoshchuk, 31-Bastian Schweinsteiger, 25-Thomas Mueller, 39-Toni Kroos, 7-Franck Ribery; 33-Mario Gomez