Barcelona vs Bayern Munich- 5 Players To Watch Out For
New Delhi: As another matchday approaches in the Champions League, one match will surely peak the eyes of the neutrals. That match being Barcelona vs Bayern Munich. In the past, the one match that comes to mind from these two will surely be the remarkable 8-2 humiliation. Since then, Barcelona have re-strengthened, brought in top talent, and most importantly, got a manager they can trust who is getting results. Bayern on the other hand, lost Hansi Flick, and then appointed Julian Nagelsmann, who did win the Bundesliga, but his side has drawn their last three games, against opponents they should likely be beating. However, the talking point between the two clubs this summer was veteran forward (and record goal scorer) Robert Lewandowski switching from Bavaria to Barcelona.
Bayern have the historical advantage, winning 8 of their last 11 meetings. Barcelona have won two, and one meeting has been a draw, making it another 8-2 to Bayern here. This clash will surely be a grudge match between the two sides, both wanting the victory as much as each other. However, each side has their stars they will look to. Here are five players to look out for in their clash.
1. Robert Lewandowski
The obvious one. The Polish star said his “auf wiedersehen” to Bavaria, and said his “hola” to Barcelona. People might have questioned the deal, saying 34 was too old of an age to try to crack a new league. But “Lewangoalski” has silenced many of his critics with six goals and two assists in just five La Liga games. The forward, despite his age, is not acting as a goal-hanger either, instead contributing to Xavi’s style, dropping deep and pressing from the front. The veteran rarely shifts wide, preferring to stay central and impact the game that way. Expect the Pole to push his old team to the limit, and get a few goals against them.
2. Sadio Mané
Another new arrival. Sadio Mané, signed from Liverpool, is being played as the Lewandowski replacement through the middle. A role rather uncharacteristic of the Senegalese, but it is one he is slowly adapting to, and like Lewandowski, he is dropping deep and not drifting wide much, supporting Bayern’s play. He will surely love nothing more than getting his first UCL goal for Bayern against the Catalonians.
3. Ousmane Dembélé
The French winger has struggled with injuries throughout his Barcelona stint, missing a lot of games due to muscle problems. So much so, Barcelona fans cheered “Vamos Dembele” at an ambulance leaving their training ground. However, since the start of 2022, he’s been relatively injury-free, and also at his explosive best, contributing two goals and two assists in five games so far. The Frenchman loves to get wide, and will surely cause Bayern full-backs issues. As an ex-Dortmund player, Dembele will be even more eager to inflict pain on his old enemy, Bayern.
4. Joshua Kimmich
An unexpected player here, Kimmich has been a standout player for Bayern, providing two goals and two assists from six games. As a defensive midfielder, these are exceptional stats. He also made 2.2 interceptions per game, and 2.5 tackles. These, paired with zero errors leading to goals, show the defensive stability and trust the German brings to Bayern. His positional sense and reading of the game can’t be doubted. He will hope to bring his good form into this match.
5. Raphinha
The Brazilian winger concludes this list. The ex-Leeds winger brings a bag of tricks to Barcelona’s attack, and, along with the aforementioned Dembélé, will be a lot of trouble for the Bayern defence. The advantage of the two is that they can switch wings easily, so if one is struggling against their full-back, they can switch places. Raphinha did this occasionally at Leeds, switching from right to left. This is a move the two have also done this season. Look out for the switch of wings in Barcelona’s play.
As usual, we can expect Bayern Munich vs Barcelona to be a spectacle. One the neutrals will all be eager to tune in to.