Initial thoughts and impressions.
- It's finished. Barcelona has been relegated to the Europa League by Bayern Munich. We've said it before, but this seems like the end of an era for a wonderful club. How will they be able to recover?
- Jamal Musiala continues to demonstrate why he should be a starter. The adolescent contributes a goal contribution for the second time in a row. When Musiala plays a 90-minute game, he almost always scores or assists.
- Leroy Sane scored an incredible screamer goal, but his whole performance was mediocre. In the pressing and defending phases, he performed what was expected of him, but his final ball was awful. Perhaps he requires a break.
- It's encouraging to see Nagelsmann give some of the bench guys some playing time, however, it's bad Lewandowski didn't score.
- Today, Benjamin Pavard was actually rather good. That's it; I said it.
Full time: Bayern Munich 3-0 Barcelona.
87' – Sane is squandering opportunities left and right. What the hell is going on, man?
77' — Nianzou and Malik Tillman replace Sule and Lewandowski, respectively.
62’ — GOAL! Alphonso Davies sets up Jamal Musiala for a tap-in! 3-0 now
59' — Substitution: Marc Roca replaces Corentin Tolisso.
45' — It's time for the second half to begin!
Observations and analysis at halftime.
- Bayern Munich hasn't put up their greatest performance so far. Barcelona had its moments, but they were rare opportunities that were tough to convert. The final score appears to be well balanced.
- To avoid meaningless 1v1s, Xavi made the correct move by shifting Ousmane Dembele to the other wing of Alphonso Davies. So far, the Frenchman has proven to be Barca's most threatening player.
- Isn't Thomas Muller a big fan of Barcelona? In all competitions, this was his seventh goal against them. In European football, no player has scored more goals against the Catalans.
- With the exception of a chance in the 27th minute, Lewandowski has had no changes thus far. He must become more involved.
- As things are, Barca will compete in the Europa League.
Bayern Munich beats Barcelona 2-0 at halftime.
GOAL at 42'! When you have a chance, watch the replay because Sane hit a great long-range shot.
GOAL at 33'! What a reversal of roles! After a Lewandowski assist, Thomas Muller lobs it over Ter Stegen!
Lewandowski makes an incredible miss at the 27th minute. Muller was on the counter when he was discovered. I'm not sure how that wasn't a goal.
We're off and running in Munich! Snow is falling, which is never a good omen.
We have queues one hour before kickoff! By starting Jamal Musiala in the middle of the pitch, Julian Nagelsmann is taking a major risk. With Niklas Sule starting in place of Lucas Hernandez, Bayern Munich's starting lineup isn't quite as strong as it might be. Against Barcelona, though, we should be able to complete the task. If this is not the case, inquiries will be asked.
💫 @J__Nagelsmann's 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐗𝐈 für das #UCL-Heimspiel gegen Barça! #FCBFCB #FCBayern #packmas pic.twitter.com/7m0HKwuZEZ
— FC Bayern München (@FCBayern) December 8, 2021
It's the final match in the Champions League group stage this season. Bayern Munich vs. Barcelona at the Allianz Arena would be a spectacle in any other year, bringing the rest of football to a halt. This year, though, the game's history is a bit subdued, owing to the fact that Bayern has nothing to play for except pride, while Barcelona is in dire straits.
Julian Nagelsmann has stated that he intends to deploy his strongest lineup for this match. While he can bank on players like Thomas Muller and Robert Lewandowski, vital players like Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka are still on the bench. Barcelona, on the other hand, has a new coach. Xavi Hernandez, their legendary midfielder, has returned to the club to help it rise beyond mediocrity. He's stated that he wants his squad to take the game to Bayern, and he'll most likely use all of the tools at his disposal to do so.
Can Bayern fight off the Catalans despite a lack of both personnel and motivation? Is Alphonso Davies capable of containing Ousmane Dembele? Will Robert Lewandowski be able to score against Ronald Araujo's formidable defense? We'll have to wait and see what happens.