Thanks to an impeccable performance from Raphinha, author of a hat-trick, the culé team beat the Bavarians 4-1, for the third day of the League Phase. This victory comes before the Spanish classic against Real Madrid next Saturday.
The progress of the third date of the League Phase of the renewed Champions League presented a match which, in another scenario, could be a semi-final or even a European final: Barcelona of Hansi Flick, against Bayern Munich of Vincent Kompany. At the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium, The Blaugranas won a great 4-1 victory about a rival he had a hand in for years.
The leaders of their respective local tournaments met. The Catalans are at the top of the La Liga table after 10 matches, in a duel against the Germans just before the classic against Real Madrid , which will be played next Saturday. For its part, the Bavarian giant leads the Bundesliga alongside Leipzig. Bayern entered the duel with track record in their favor: They had won their last six Champions League matches against Barça (including the emblematic 8-2 in 2020, with Flick on the German bench).
The first minute of play had just passed and the culés opened the scoring with a score from Raphinha. The Brazilian team receives a long pass, escapes goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and scores. A better start for the Spaniards is impossible. However, and despite what was going to happen in the development of the game, the duel became complicated for the home team.
Bayern took control of the action and equalized in the 10th minute, through Harry Kane, but the goal was disallowed for offside. Eight minutes later, the Englishman took his revenge. Kane connects the ball after a cross from Gnabry, switching goalkeeper Iñaki Peña (who takes place of the injured Ter Stegen) and making the score 1-1. It was more just because of the procedure.
With just 38% possession in the first half, figures the polar opposite of their style, Barcelona used efficiency to gain a greater advantage. In the 36 years, the law of exes arrives. Robert Lewandowski took advantage of a defensive failure by the Bavarians, notably a poor start from Neuer, to bring the score to 2-1. The Pole had a measured celebration, due to his past at the German club. Then, at 45′, Raphinha reappeared for the third. Thanks to a right-footed shot, which passed between the legs of defender Upamecano, he left the score at 3-1 just before half-time.
This version of Hansi Flick’s Barcelona was not designed to control the ball, but rather to play on the counter-attack and exploit its firepower in attack. The complement started like the first, with the Germans handling the ball in the rival’s field, but without the final pass. While the Blaugranas were quite the opposite. In the 56th minute, Raphinha made it 4-1. Triplet for the Brazilian, with a left-footed cross shot ending a counter-attack. He was the best on the pitch and had a big influence on the result.
This culé victory allows them to sit down at the table, as part of a campaign in which they aspire to be protagonists again, especially on the international scene. Taking down a colossus in this way gives credit. Barcelona are better placed in the league stage of the Champions League, with six points from three games. It started with a 2-1 defeat to Monaco, in the principality, then beat Young Boys of Switzerland 5-0.
The competition currently has two leaders: Aston Villa and Liverpool. If Unai Emery’s men won on Tuesday, this Wednesday it was the Reds’ turn. Arne Slot’s team narrowly beat Leipzig as visitors, thanks to a goal from Uruguayan Darwin Núñez. The one who scored was Manchester City, with a 5-0 victory over Sparta Prague.
Source: Latercera
I’m Scott Moore, a professional writer and journalist based in the US. I’ve been writing for various publications for over 8 years now, and have been working as an author at athletistic for the past five years. My work has been featured by some of the leading sports websites and magazines across Europe.
