In a marquee matchup on matchday three of the Champions League, five-time winners Barcelona will tackle six-time champions Bayern Munich on Wednesday.
Both groups sit on three factors after two matches, and a loss right here may jeopardize their possibilities of remaining within the high 24.
Hansi Flick’s spectacular tenure as Barcelona supervisor continued this weekend with a commanding 5-1 victory over Sevilla, solidifying their three-point lead on the high of La Liga.
The solely blemish on their home report to this point was a slip-up towards Osasuna, whereas Flick’s sole different defeat got here towards a cussed Monaco aspect after his crew was diminished to 10 males within the first half.
However, La Blaugrana bounced again in model throughout matchday two, dismantling Young Boys 5-0 – an excellent preparation for the upcoming conflict with the German heavyweights, Flick and high scorer Robert Lewandowski’s former membership.
Flick has now received 17 of his 20 Champions League matches, boasting the very best win ratio of any supervisor within the competitors’s historical past and setting the report for probably the most wins by a coach of their first 20 video games.
Barcelona’s historical past towards Bayern Munich casts a frightening shadow over this upcoming conflict, because the Catalans have managed simply two wins in 15 earlier encounters.
The final six matchups have all resulted in Bayern’s favor, together with the stunning 8-2 defeat in 2020.
Since then, the Bavarians have claimed 4 consecutive victories with out conceding a single purpose.
Another loss would see Barcelona equal their membership report for the longest dropping streak towards a single opponent, a doubtful distinction that dates again to the early Nineteen Sixties after they confronted the dominant Real Madrid.
With 10 wins towards Barcelona within the Champions League, Bayern Munich may equal the report for probably the most victories by any crew towards a single opponent within the competitors.
They would additionally develop into the primary crew since Real Madrid, who achieved this feat towards Ajax within the 2010s, to win seven consecutive matches towards a single rival.
Vincent Kompany might be longing for his aspect to bounce again after a disappointing loss to Aston Villa on matchday two, the place Jhon Duran capitalized on a uncommon misstep from Manuel Neuer to attain a surprising late winner.
That defeat ended Bayern’s outstanding 41-game unbeaten streak at this stage of the Champions League and places them susceptible to dropping three consecutive away matches in Europe for the primary time of their historical past, following a dramatic semifinal loss to Real Madrid final season.
In mid-September, Bayern Munich achieved a outstanding feat by successful three matches in only one week, netting an astonishing 20 targets towards Holstein Kiel, Dinamo Zagreb, and Werder Bremen.
However, their momentum faltered afterward, as they managed solely attracts towards Bayer Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt, flanking their loss to Aston Villa.
Fortunately, their three-game winless streak got here to an finish this previous weekend, with Harry Kane scoring his sixth hat trick for Bayern in a commanding 4-0 victory over Stuttgart.
This win retains them on the high of the Bundesliga, forward of RB Leipzig on purpose distinction.
Flick is poised to proceed backing Inaki Pena in purpose for Barcelona, regardless of the current arrival of Wojciech Szczesny, for each this match and the upcoming El Clasico, as Marc-Andre ter Stegen is sidelined for the season.
Barcelona welcomed Dani Olmo and Gavi again into the matchday squad following accidents, with Gavi making a quick look within the ultimate minutes over the weekend.
Frenkie de Jong is nearing a full return, though he has but to start out since his comeback in the beginning of the month.
Meanwhile, Marc Bernal stays out long-term on account of a critical knee damage.
The hosts may even miss Ferran Torres due to a hamstring difficulty, together with center-back duo Ronald Araujo and Andreas Christensen.
As a outcome, teenager Pau Cubarsi is about to start out in one other high-profile matchup.
Bayern might be with out Aleksandar Pavlovic, who suffered a damaged collarbone simply 5 minutes into final weekend’s match, leaving Joao Palhinha because the doubtless candidate to step in.
Raphael Guerreiro has lately performed as a right-back, however Konrad Laimer may additionally tackle that function, with Joshua Kimmich anticipated to stay in midfield alongside Leon Goretzka.
Young star Jamal Musiala is the foremost damage concern for the guests, as he battles a hip difficulty that will stop him from collaborating.
Additionally, right-back duo Josip Stanisic and Sacha Boey are each sidelined, necessitating Guerreiro’s place swap.
Source: www.dailysabah.com