Barcelona face Bayern in their last match of the UEFA Champions League group stage. A match which is a “Do or die” for the club. Barcelona need to win against Bayern to Qualify for the round of 16. If they lose, they are completely dependent on Benfica-Kyiv Match for their fate.
Bayern may not be the team they were under Hansi Flick, but they are still one of the best in the world, with zero matches lost/drawn in the group stage. They have also scored 19 goals in the competition (second highest, after Ajax who have played all 6 of their games and scored 20), and only conceded 3 (Second lowest after Chelsea, with one goal conceded).
Meanwhile, Barcelona are displaying their worst attacking performance after years, with the primary goalscorer in Lionel Messi currently playing for PSG. Currently 7th in La Liga, Barca are also struggling in the champions league. Only scoring 2 goals, we are second lowest scorers in the competition (with Malmo and Kyiv under us). Currently with a goal difference of -4, things are on the verge of collapsing, both in a sporting and financial way.
Bayern Munich has a whole plethora of world class players, but here we see their most important players who can play tomorrow:
Robert Lewandowski
The Ballon d’or runner up, the 33 year old pole is the best player in the world. Not only in scoring goals, but his overall play makes him what he is currently. He has scored a whopping 27 goals this season in only 21 matches played (19.9 90s). He is surely the biggest threat Bayern pose and he will be determined to spoil Barcelona’s hopes on Wednesday.
Leroy Sane
After initial struggles at Bayern, Leroy Sane is back at his best under Nagelsmann. The 25 year old german is now one of the best creative outlets the team has, with 10 assists and 9 goals scored. Another big threat for Barca’s full backs.
Thomas Muller
If Lewandowski is Bayern’s main goalscorer then the primary source of assists is Müller. The 32 year old German has already supplied 12 assists this season, and has already scored against Barcelona. He’d be also looking to harm Barcelona and a big threat which Xavi needs to work on.
Manuel Neuer
The key is that Neuer, even at 35 years of age, remains world class with or without the ball. With it, he can ping a pass to a teammate with his hands or feet; without it, he can race off his line and diffuse an opposition attack. At traditional shot stopping he’s still one of the best in the world.
So, if Barcelona want to win against this well oiled Bayern Juggernaut, Xavi needs to get every aspect of his tactical approach correct, along with the players to believe they can win. Otherwise, Barcelona are bound to play in Europa league.
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