Barcelona v Bayern Munich– Preview, Predictions, and Best Bets

Barcelona hosts Die Roten destroyed Dinamo Zagreb 9-2 but lost 1-0 to Aston Villa on matchdays one and two. Barcelona can’t afford another defeat after losing to Monaco on matchday one. Bayern has won the last nine encounters between these two clubs.

Barcelona Form

Barcelona is enjoying a fantastic domestic season, winning nine of their 10 La Liga matches and scoring 33 goals to sit at the top of the table. After five successive league wins, they suffered a 2-1 defeat away to Monaco in the Champions League. They responded well with a 5-1 win at Villarreal and a 1-0 home victory over Getafe.

With significant squad rotation, they lost 4-2 at Osasuna, prioritizing their Champions League clash against Young Boys, which they won 5-0 at home. Two more La Liga victories followed as Hansi Flick’s side beat Alaves 3-0 and Sevilla 5-1 on Sunday.

Barcelona Team News

Barcelona will be without goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who is out with a long-term injury. Defenders Andreas Christensen and Ronald Araujo are also unavailable for this match.

Ferran Torres and Eric Garcia are unlikely to return in time. Dani Olmo and Frenkie de Jong were unused substitutes over the weekend but should start here. Gavi is back from injury and could feature off the bench.

Barcelona Motivation

Blaugrana will be distracted by their upcoming El Clasico against Real Madrid on Saturday night.

Having already lost once in the Champions League, this match is a “must not lose.” A draw and a strong performance would be acceptable for the Catalan side.

Bayern Form

Bayern is having an impressive season so far with just one loss. They thrashed Dinamo Zagreb 9-2 in the Champions League, with Harry Kane scoring four goals. A 5-0 win at Werder Bremen followed before a frustrating 1-1 draw against Bayer Leverkusen, despite having 69% possession and an 18-3 shot advantage.

They lost 1-0 at Aston Villa, even though they outshot Unai Emery’s side 17-5. A last-minute goal saw them draw 3-3 at Eintracht Frankfurt. On Saturday, Kane scored a hat trick as Die Roten registered 3.38 xG in a 4-0 home win over Stuttgart.

Bayern Team News

Aleksandar Pavlovic was injured against Stuttgart, so Joao Palhinha may come into the starting lineup. Dayot Upamecano played 82 minutes over the weekend and should be fit for this clash.

Jamal Musiala is nearing a return from a hip injury and could make the bench. Three defenders—Josip Stanisic, Sacha Boey, and Hiroki Ito—are ruled out.

Bayern Motivation

Bayern won’t be distracted by their upcoming trip to Bochum. All their focus is on securing three points in Spain.

Kompany’s side will look to play on the front foot and dominate Barcelona.

Key Stats

Barcelona has conceded 3+ goals in 5 of their last 6 matches against Bayern.

Barcelona has lost their last 9 matches against Bayern (32-4 aggregate).

Barca has won 10 of their 12 matches this season (39 goals scored).

Bayern is winless in their last 4 away Champions League matches (LDLL).

Bayern’s Harry Kane has 11 goals in his last 7 matches.

Bayern Munich has won 7 of their 10 matches this season, scoring 36 goals.

Verdict

Bayern Munich tends to dominate this fixture. Barcelona could struggle defensively, especially with one eye on their clash against Real Madrid in three days’ time.