Barcelona 4-1 Bayern Munich: ‘Visça Catalunya’ as hope returns to Camp Nou

Barcelona 4-1 Bayern Munich: ‘Visça Catalunya’ as hope returns to Camp Nou

It has been almost ten years since Barcelona won a Champions League game against their ever-present oppressors Bayern Munich. The Bavarians have maintained dominance over the Catalan giants, winning 11 games and losing twice in the 30 games leading up to their Champions League fixture on Wednesday.

However, it was a different Culer side Bayern was set to face this time, as Barcelona have recorded a flying start to the season. With nine wins out of ten in the league and a whopping 31 goals in tow, the entire camp had quite the confidence boost going into the UCL clash.

Match highlights 

Raphinha early goal

The Blaugrana got off to a brilliant start, grabbing the advantage within the first minute thanks to a rolling finish from Raphinha. Some Robert Lewandowski hold-up play in the midfield allowed Pedri Gonzalez to locate Fermin Lopez in attack. 

The quick transition saw the 21-year-old flick it on for the racing Raphinha who opted to drag the ball around Manuel Neuer before slotting his finish home. It was a transition that took seconds, and the early advantage went to Barça.

Bayern press, offside goal, and leveller

The Bavarians responded to going behind early by dominating the possession for most of the first 20 minutes. They held up to 75% control at certain points, keeping the key creators in the Blaugrana team off the ball most of the time.

Bayern seemed to have put in the leveler in the tenth minute when Harry Kane headed home from a Raphael Gurreiro cross. However, the Barca offside trap saved them narrowly. Kane was a toe and a knee off, but his next attempt on goal was spot-on. 

It was another surging move down the right, Michael Olise opting to switch to Serge Gnabry down the left flank instead of Gurreiro on the overlap. Gnabry was ahead of his man–and Kane–and his cross was on a plate for the Englishman to tap home in the 18th minute.

It was a reward for an intense 17-minute press from Bayern and the game was balanced once again.

Barca regroup, counter-press, and Lewandowski finish 

Parity was restored after Bayern's equalizer, and it was not only on the scoreboard. The Barça team seemed to settle into a flowing rhythm, one that saw Pedri, Yamal, and Lopez get the ball to their feet more often.

The La-Masia-groomed graduates soon grew into the game, switching between pressing and control with relative ease. The control-press switch soon bore fruit in the 36th minute, with Yamal floating in a weighted pass for Fermin to charge down. He beat Kim Min-Jae for pace and turned a half chance into a real one, placing the ball on a plate for Lewandowski.

The veteran forward tapped home, not too differently from Kane earlier, restoring the lead for the Catalans.

Raphinha second just before halftime 

Once in the lead again, the Blaugrana did not let go of their customary control. Hansi Flick's men were on a roll and Raphinha ensured a cushioned lead at halftime. 

It was Marc Casado who was the creator this time, the midfielder stringing a diagonal pass that found Raphinha in some space down the left. Gurreiro was well advanced, leaving Min-Jae exposed to the Brazilian’s onslaught and Raphinha took his chance clinically.

Dayot Upamecano came in to add pressure to the situation, but Raphinha’s right-footed curler went between the Frenchman's legs past a diving Neuer and into the bottom right corner. It was 3-1 to Barça, and halftime could not have been better timed.

4-1: the Raphinha hat-trick

The Brazilian was on fire in Catalunya on Wednesday night, and his hat-trick was a perfect way to mark his 100th game for the club. Yamal was the creator this time, in the 56th minute, with another of his trademark weighted passes locating Raphinha between two Bayern defenders.

The winger kept his head, driving into the box before beating Neuer with a left-footed finish. The pass from Yamal was excellent, but the goal was a result of the Brazilian's resilience and clinical finishing. 

With Vinicius Junior grabbing a hat-trick on Tuesday, the El Clasico is set up to be quite the contest on Saturday. Joga Boñito is back, and the clash of Brazilians will be a delight to watch. 

Barca Vs Bayern: Takeaways 

Of all the business that occurred last summer, Hansi Flick's introduction to the Blaugrana camp was one of the best recruitments at the club. The German has hit the ground running with his tactics, transforming the club from lackluster to brimming with confidence.

His biggest achievements seem to be the continuation of Xavi’s La Masia integration from last season. However, while the Spaniard clearly favored a mix of older and younger players, Flick does not have a problem with starting a host of U-21s to affect his tactics. 

Moreover, the tactics have paid off nicely. Apart from taking up very little on the books, the sense of belonging is coming back to the Barca squad.

Gavi’s return to the first team on Sunday was greeted with an ovation throughout the stadium. At the same time, the youngsters are off to a stellar beginning in their careers, as players like Marc Casado, Pau Cubarsi, and Pablo Torre are settling into the first team rather solidly.

Wednesday night was a show of possibilities. The endless talent that La Masia churns out. And they have one of the best managers overseeing such developments in Hansi Flick.

For Bayern, it is a sign of much more work to be done. Vincent Kompany is doing much better than Thomas Tuchel last season. However, the team has yet to achieve that cogless efficiency the Bavarians have been famous for. Of particular concern is Kompany’s reluctance to revise his attacking tactics that leave the center-backs exposed when the full-backs push forward. 

The tactics do not seem to be worrisome in the Bundesliga. Playing among the European elite will leave Bayern vulnerable to fast-paced transitions and counter-attacks, much like they were against Barcelona. It is three points out of three games for the Bavarians, and they are on a losing streak in their past three away Champions League games. Bayern and Kompany clearly need some tactical revision to salvage any qualification hopes.

Next fixtures

Barcelona head to the Spanish capital in Madrid on Saturday, where they face off arch-rivals Real Madrid in a heavily anticipated El Clasico.

Spectators have been criticizing the fixture for losing its lure since Messi and Ronaldo left the league. However, with players like Pedri, Yamal, Raphinha, Vinicius Junior, and Jude Bellingham to look out for, Saturday's game is set for the keen, entertaining contest fans are used to.

Bayern are on the road again, this time looking to extend their Bundesliga dominance against a struggling VFL Bochum side.