The top two sides in Group E lock horns in the Champions League on Tuesday evening as Bayern Munich welcome Ajax to the Allianz Arena.

Bayern opened their campaign with a 2-0 win at Benfica a fortnight ago, on the same night that their opponents were putting three unanswered goals past AEK Athens.

This showdown in Bavaria could therefore prove pivotal in how the final standings look, and the home side need to quickly regroup if they are to pick up the result they are after, having suffered their first loss of the Niko Kovac era at the weekend.

Ahead of the ninth meeting between these two sides on the European stage, Sports Mole looks at how Bayern may line up.

Kovac indicated in his pre-match press conference that a "highly-motivated" Arjen Robben will get the nod out on the right for Wednesday's clash, with the Dutchman boasting three goals from five Bundesliga outings this term.

The German giants are blessed with options in that department, and squad rotation may come into play for this first European home match of the season, as Serge Gnabry is knocking on the door for a first Champions League start.

Thomas Muller was rested for the 2-0 loss to surprise package Hertha Berlin on Friday night but should be recalled here, while Robert Lewandowski remains the first name on the team sheet as the focal point of Bayern's attack.

Elsewhere, James Rodriguez was taken off early in that maiden defeat of the campaign in a likely sign that he will start against Ajax, and Thiago Alcantara has been used regularly by Kovac in midfield, so they are expected to link up here once again.

Leon Goretzka and Javi Martinez are other alternatives for Kovac, but he is unlikely to tinker too much for what is an important match.