Barcelona 0-3 Bayern Munich: Initial reactions and observations

Initial reactions and observations

• Julian Nagelsmann seemed to make some adjustments in the second half. Barcelona were unable to shut things down as effectively, while Bayern Munich looked a lot more expansive. Good tactical performance by Nagelsmann.
• You could see Bayern fading in the second half due to fatigue. It was a real energy-saving persomance by the Bavarians — at 100mph, who knows what the score could’ve been.
• Jamal Musiala was sooo good, and he deserved a goal today. He terrorized that Barca left flank all on his own.
• Dayot Upamecano put on a defensive masterclass. To think some people were worried about Luuk de Jong ...
• Bayern now need to focus on resting players in the upcoming games. Sane, Kimmich, and Goretzka have a ton of mileage on them and they need some time off.

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Full time: Bayern Munich beat Barcelona 3-0. Comfortable win.

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84’ — GOAL! Lewandowski scores from another deflected shot! This time Gnabry hit the post and Lewy converted.

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80’ — Only ten-ish minutes left and Bayern seem to be willing to close out the game.

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55’ — GOAL! Lewandowski makes it 2-0!

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45’ — The second half is underway!

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Halftime observations and analysis

• Bayern Munich deserve to be ahead, but credit to Barcelona, they’ve defended well. This 3-5-2 from Ronald Koeman is extremely compact and has stifled Bayern for the entire half. It’s a much better tactical plan than what they had the last time they faced us.
• Jamal Musiala could really use a little more support from Pavard on the right. He seems crowded out whenever he tries to dribble.
• Once again, Thomas Muller has scored against Barcelona. This man loves playing them.
• Nagelsmann’s tactics haven’t been convincing so far. Bayern have had chances, but the offense looks lackluster. Needs to improve in the second half.
• Michael Oliver is a terrible ref. Two potential penalties weren’t called, and he’s letting too many fouls go in this game.

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Halftime: Bayern Munich lead Barca 1-0.

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33’ — GOAL! Thomas Muller makes it 1-0 from outside the box! Huge deflection off Eric Garcia.

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30’ — We’re thirty minutes in and still no goals for either side.

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Kickoff: We’re underway!

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One hour until kickoff: We have lineups! It’s exactly as expected, no surprises. Musiala and Sane on the wings, standard 4-2-3-1. Gnabry and Coman are probably options from the bench.

Meanwhile you have Barcelona starting a 3-5-2 as expected, but with Sergi Roberto at RWB instead of Mingueza or Dest. Interesting choice by Koeman — Roberto is more of a midfielder than a RB.

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THE CHAMPIOOOOONS! It really is that time of year again — the UEFA Champions League is back in business. And what better way to start off proceedings than with a clash between two of the biggest and most storied teams on the continent?

Bayern Munich and Barcelona matches are always iconic. The last time these two teams met, it produced one of the most shocking scorelines in football history. Both teams have changed since then — Bayern won a treble, then a sextuple, and then Hansi Flick left for the German national team, making way for the up-and-coming Julian Nagelsmann.

Barca, meanwhile, have been in turmoil. Following the 8-2, they sacked Quique Setien to hire Ronald Koeman, only to play a disastrous domestic season plagued by on and off the pitch issues. Everything came to a head this summer, when their star man, Leo Messi, was finally forced out due to the club’s financial difficulties.

Safe to say, while they both may be FCB, the situations of these two teams couldn’t be more different. Both sides still have some big stars — Thomas Muller, Robert Lewandowski, and Manuel Neuer on the German side, while Memphis Depay, Frenkie de Jong, and Pedri line up for the Catalans. This is going to be one amazing UCL opener.

It’s Bayern time.

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While you’re waiting for the game to start, why not check out our preview podcast? We go over Barca’s potential tactics for the game, how Bayern can counter them, and both sides’ strengths and weaknesses.

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Match Info

Location: Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain

Time: 9:00 pm local time, 3:00 pm EST

TV/streaming: Paramount+, Find Your Country

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