Bayern Munich vs Barcelona: Barça left to rue missed probabilities as Bayern wins 2-0 in Champions League conflict

Muricas News  — 

For eight seasons, Bayern Munich followers had turn out to be accustomed to watching Robert Lewandowski discover the again of the online on virtually a weekly foundation.

The Polish striker, one of many biggest forwards within the membership’s historical past, returned to the Allianz Area on Tuesday for the primary time since swapping Bavaria for Barcelona in the summertime – and it wasn’t fairly the return he would have hoped for.

Lewandowski missed a variety of golden alternatives – one specifically within the first half, eight yards from objective, that he would normally rating in his sleep – to go away the door open for Bayern to seize a vital 2-0 win on this Champions League heavyweight conflict.

Second half targets from Lucas Hernandez and Leroy Sané secured the three factors and prolonged Bayern’s exceptional unbeaten run within the Champions League group phases to 30 matches, a streak that stretches again to 2017.

As soon as Barça’s “financial levers” had been activated to permit the membership to register its summer season signings, Lewandowski hit the bottom operating in his new residence and bagged 9 targets in six video games previous to Tuesday’s match.

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The 34-year-old obtained a comparatively heat reception from the Allianz devoted on his return, however Bayern followers would have been as delighted as they have been stunned to see their former hero miss so many probabilities.

Profligacy in entrance of objective apart, there shall be loads of positives for Barcelona and its head coach Xavi to remove from the match, with the staff competing for a lot of the 90 minutes in opposition to a Bayern facet many predict to go far on this season’s Champions League.

“This end result doesn’t inform the true story,” Barça midfielder Pedri mentioned after the sport. “Our first half show merited rather more than 0-0 at halftime, however in fact, in case you fail to place probabilities away in opposition to an enormous rival like Bayern, you’ll find yourself paying.”

Xavi mentioned he was “pissed off” with the end result on an evening he felt his staff may have gained.

“However I’m additionally feeling happy with the staff,” he added. “Nonetheless, it’s about successful and we’ll must compete higher in essential moments like the 2 targets and to be more practical once we create probabilities.”

Nonetheless, it hasn’t precisely been plain crusing for Julian Nagelsmann and Bayern in current matches.

Eyebrows are raised any time the staff fails to win a match within the Bundesliga and, given the present run of three consecutive attracts, maybe that is as near a disaster as Bayern can get in home soccer.

The win will definitely assist ease any early season stress Nagelsmann could have been feeling, however the efficiency of his staff for lengthy stretches of the match will nonetheless go away rather a lot to be desired.

Sadio Mané, Bayern’s marquee summer season signing from Liverpool, struggled to make a lot of an affect up in opposition to Barcelona’s makeshift proper again Jules Koundé, whereas an indignant Sané took his frustration at being substituted out on a bottle within the dugout.

“Within the first half, Barcelona had the higher probabilities than us,” Nagelsmann mentioned. “Our closing ball wasn’t fairly there. It was significantly better within the second half and our effectivity made the distinction.”