FC Bayern München has once again beaten FC Barcelona at home. Barça showed a lot of spirit, especially in the first half, but were unlucky. A double strike after the break put the German record champions on the winning track.
Both coaches had spared some forces at the weekend and now relied on their best eleven again. Julian Nagelsmann made five changes after the 2-2 draw with VfB Stuttgart, with Hernandez and Pavard replacing de Ligt and Mazraoui in defence. Sabitzer, Sané and Mané came on for Goretzka, Tel and Gnabry (all on the bench).
Barça coach Xavi even changed half a dozen players compared to the 4-0 win at FC Cadiz. Among others, Chelsea newcomer Marcos Alonso made his starting debut on the left side of defence – in the attack, Dembelé, Raphinha and Lewandowski came forward. The latter was naturally the focus of attention in the run-up to the match, as he had played for the German record champions for the previous eight years and broken numerous records.
Lewandowski was to play an important role in the first half. But first things first: Munich came out of the dressing room well and approached the penalty area, but defensively looked too prone to mistakes due to the high pressing of the Catalans. Neuer made a world-class save against Pedri early on (9th) – after that Barça took control.
Lewandowski uncharacteristically misses – Sabitzer with the only chance
And then Lewandowski came into play: The Pole, played free by Pedri, had a free shot at the penalty spot, but pulled the ball over (18th), a little later the 34-year-old headed Neuer free from close range (21st).
A lead at this point would have been well deserved from Barça’s point of view. In addition, Pavard had to be substituted for Mazraoui in the middle of the first half after a duel in the opening phase.
Bayern undoubtedly did not play flawlessly at a high level in a fast-paced encounter, but Mané in particular was somewhat hapless and often complicated many actions. The biggest and only Bayern chance before the break was missed by Sabitzer, who missed the goal by about two metres (31.).
Goretzka immediately the decisive factor – Sané quickly raises
Sabitzer is the key word, as the Austrian, who had already been cautioned early on, had to make way for Goretzka at the restart. And Goretzka was immediately in the spotlight, forcing a momentous corner with his first finish: The Catalans overlooked Hernandez, who was free to nod in at the first post (50th). Barça was suddenly under pressure – and for the moment was unsorted. Musiala served Sané, who slipped the ball past ter Stegen for 2:0 (54).
Barça was shocked and needed a moment to recover. But then the Catalans rebelled once more, Pedri’s brilliant interplay with Lewandowski ended at the far post (63rd). The next missed chance was the crux of the matter, as the Blaugrana were unable to find a way through, FC Bayern defended to the end and did not give Lewandowski another chance.
The downer was the injury to Hernandez, who sat on the ground shortly before the final whistle and then left the pitch supported by the medical department with groin problems.
Barça’s negative run continues in Munich
It was the Catalans’ sixth unsuccessful attempt to win in Munich. Barça have never managed to do so, with one draw and five defeats now on the books. FC Bayern, on the other hand, have made a perfect start to the Champions League season, with two wins and 4-0 goals testifying to ultimately commanding performances.
This weekend, the German record champions host FC Augsburg on Saturday (15.30). Barcelona welcome FC Elche on Saturday (16.15). On the last first-round matchday in the top flight, Bayern welcome Viktoria Pilsen on 04 October (18.45), Barça then face Inter Milan from 21.00.
