Manchester City and Bayern Munich’s seasons are each defined by one signing — for better or worse.

Erling Haaland has redefined the role of a modern striker turning into a goal-scoring machine for City who prepare to finish off Bayern in the Champions League quarter finals second leg on Wednesday having beaten the German powerhouse 3-0 in the first leg.

Haaland has scored 47 goals in 40 games in all competitions and has a possible 13 more games to play this season. The Norwegian scored against Bayern in the first leg after demolishing another German team, Leipzig, with five goals in the previous round.

Then there’s Sadio Mane. The Senegal forward was supposed to reshape Bayern’s attack into a fluid, flexible threat, less reliant on a traditional striker when he joined from Liverpool last year as Robert Lewandowski left.

Bayern Munich’s Sadio Mane during training on Tuesday.

However, Mane has contributed little on the field in recent months and upset squad stability. He has been a bit-part player ever since a leg injury ruled him out of the Qatar World Cup, and was suspended from the squad for Bayern’s draw at Hoffenheim on Saturday for what the club called “misconduct” after confronting teammate Leroy Sane in the locker room following the loss to City. German media reported he had struck Sane in the face.

Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel has said Mane apologised like a “role model” in a process that had a “cleaning effect” on the squad’s atmosphere, but it’s yet to be followed by any improvement on the field.

Bayern and Tuchel are staking their faint hopes on home advantage.

“We all know that we need a completely different performance. We know that we can do it but we have to bring it onto the field,” Bayern midfielder Joshua Kimmich said after Saturday’s draw against Hoffenheim left Tuchel with two wins from five games since he replaced Julian Nagelsmann last month.

Centre forward Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, who missed the first leg with a knee injury, is back in training and could play in the second game. Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has a broken leg, and scrutiny of replacement Yann Sommer has increased after he missed saves against City and Hoffenheim, while defender Lucas Hernandez is also out long-term.

Criticise me: Inzaghi

Inter Milan coach Simone Inzaghi said he had no qualms being a lightning rod for criticism after their Serie A form nosedived as long as his players are protected ahead of a Champions League quarter final that could define their season.

Inter have not won in their last five league games, suffering four defeats to fall out of the top four and sit two points behind fourth-placed AC Milan, leading to reports Inzaghi could be sacked.

However, they have done well in the Champions League, advancing from the group stage at the expense of La Liga leaders Barcelona before eliminating Porto in the last 16.

Inter have a 2-0 lead over Benfica ahead of the second leg at the San Siro on Wednesday as they look to reach the semi-finals for the first time since they were crowned European champions in 2010.

“Before Barcelona, as before Porto, it (the criticism) was the same, personally I am used to it. Better they criticise me than the players,” Inzaghi told reporters on Tuesday.

“Now we have to focus on giving our fans an important night that would allow us to finish among the top four in Europe,” Inzaghi said.