Barca plot Bayern downfall in Champions League blockbuster
In one of the standout games on match day three of the Champions League, five-time winners, Barcelona, will host six-time champions, Bayern Munich.
With both teams on three points after two games, another defeat here could put either side in danger of dropping out of the top 24.
Barcelona returned to form in some style on match day two though, thrashing Young Boys 5-0; the perfect preparation for the visit of the German heavyweights, Hansi Flick, and top scorer, Robert Lewandowski’s former employers.
The Barcelona boss has now won 17 of his 20 matches in the Champions League, the best win ratio of any manager in its history, and also the most wins any coach has managed in their opening 20 games in the competition.
However, Barcelona’s history against Bayern is extremely ominous ahead of this encounter, as the Catalans have only ever won twice in 15 previous meetings.
The last six encounters have all gone in Bayern’s favour, including that astonishing 8-2 victory in 2020, while the Bavarians have also won four in succession since then without conceding.
Another defeat here would see Barcelona match their club-record longest losing streak against a single opponent, an unwanted feat that dates back to the early 1960s against an all-conquering Real Madrid outfit.
With 10 wins over Barcelona in the Champions League, Bayern could equal the record for the most wins any team has managed against a single opponent in the competition, and become the first team to win seven straight games against a team since Real Madrid did so against Ajax throughout the 2010s.
Vincent Kompany will be hoping his side can respond after a disappointing defeat away to Aston Villa on match day two, when Jhon Duran capitalised on Manuel Neuer going walkabouts to net an impressive late winner.
That result ended Bayern’s 41- game unbeaten run in this stage of the Champions League, and it also means they could lose three straight away games in Europe for the first time in their history, after also falling to defeat dramatically at Real Madrid in last season’s semi-finals.
Flick is set to keep faith with Inaki Pena in the Barcelona goal, despite the recent signing of Wojciech Szczesny, both for this game and the upcoming El Clasico, with Marc-Andre ter Stegen out for the season.
Barcelona were able to welcome Dani Olmo and Gavi back to the match day squad after injury at the weekend, with the latter getting a brief cameo in the final few minutes.— Sportsmole
