Big Match Feature: Bayern v Barcelona

Bayern München are bidding to win all six UEFA Champions League group games for the second time as they host aBarcelona side who need victory themselves to guarantee a last-16 place.

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The German champions kicked off Group E with a 3-0 win at the Camp Nou, Thomas Müller's 34th-minute openeradded to in the second half by a Robert Lewandowski double (56, 85).

Bayern have gone on to win their next four games and are eight points clear in the section having wrapped upprogress as group winners on Matchday 4. Barcelona, meanwhile, have bounced back from losing their opening twogames 3-0 to take seven points from the next three and establish a two-point cushion over second-placed Benfica,with whom they drew 0-0 at home last time out.

Barcelona will go through if they win, or if Benfica do not win in the section's other Matchday 6 game, at home toDynamo Kyiv.

Lewandowski can match Cristiano Ronaldo's record of scoring in all six group games, set for Real Madrid in2017/18; the Polish striker has hit nine goals this season, level with Ajax's Sébastien Haller and two short of Ronaldo'sgroup stage record set in 2015/16. Ronaldo and Haller have also scored in every game in 2021/22.

PREVIOUS MEETINGS

Bayern romped to an 8-2 quarter-final victory against Barcelona at Lisbon's Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica on 14August 2020 en route to claiming their sixth European Cup despite David Alaba's seventh-minute own goal cancellingout Müller's opener three minutes earlier.

By the time Luis Suárez scored Barcelona's second three minutes before the hour, Bayern led 4-1 thanks to goals from Müller again (31), Ivan Perišic (22) and Serge Gnabry (27); Joshua Kimmich (63), Lewandowski (82) and Philippe Coutinho (85, 89) – who was on loan from Barcelona – rounded off a stunning win.

It was the first time Bayern had scored eight in a UEFA Champions League match – they have hit sevenfive times – and the first time their Spanish opponents had conceded eight in a competitive game since 1946.

Bayern's four goals in the first 31 minutes was the fastest a team has ever scored four in a UEFA ChampionsLeague knockout match, beating their own competition record of 36 minutes set against Porto in the 2014/15 quarterfinal second leg.

Their win at the Camp Nou on Matchday 1 this season meant Bayern have won five of the last six matches between the sides, and eight of their 12 contests against Barcelona overall (D2 L2).

The teams' last ten matches have all been in the UEFA Champions League, and all but three in the knockout stages.Matchday 1 was their first group stage meeting since 1998/99.

Barça came out on top in the 2014/15 semi-finals, going through 5-2 on aggregate (3-0 h, 2-3 a); Lewandowski and Müller were on target in Bayern's second-leg consolation victory.

Bayern overwhelmed Barcelona 4-0 in the first leg of their 2012/13 semi-final encounter. Müller scored twice in Munich and once in a 3-0 away success in Barcelona, where Gerard Piqué added an own goal.

Barcelona got the better of Bayern in the 2008/09 quarter-finals, winning 4-0 at the Camp Nou before a 1-1 drawback in Munich.

New Barcelona coach Xavi Hernández featured in all six games against Bayern between 2009 and 2015.

The teams were paired together in the 1998/99 UEFA Champions League group stage, Bayern winning 1-0 in Munich and 2-1 at the Camp Nou, where they returned for that season's final loss to Manchester United.

Bayern came out 4-3 aggregate winners in the 1995/96 UEFA Cup semi-final; Otto Rehhagel's side drew 2-2 inGermany before prevailing 2-1 away to a Barcelona outfit that included goalkeeper Carles Busquets, father of Sergio.

In all five knockout contests, the winners of the Barcelona-Bayern tie went on to win the trophy.

FORM GUIDE

Bayern

This is Bayern's 25th UEFA Champions League group campaign, fewer only than Barcelona and Real Madrid (both26). They have now won their section 18 times, including in each of the last four seasons. Only Barcelona (21) havedone so more often.

In 2020/21, as holders, Bayern finished first in Group A, extending their UEFA Champions League record of successive victories to 15 before being held 1-1 at Atlético de Madrid on Matchday 5. Those were the only points they dropped in their section.

A side coached by Hansi Flick then eased past Lazio in the round of 16 (4-1 a, 2-1) but a 3-2 home loss against Paris Saint-Germain – who Bayern had beaten 1-0 in the previous season's final – in the quarter-final first leg proved insurmountable, Bayern bowing out despite a subsequent 1-0 win in France.

Flick left Bayern to take over as Germany coach in the summer, Julian Nagelsmann moving from Leipzig to succeedhim in Munich.

Bayern are the highest scorers in their season's group stage on 19 goals. The record for the group stage is 25scored by Paris in 2017/18; Bayern's own record is 24 in 2019/20.

Lewandowski's Matchday 5 strike made him the joint top scorer in this season's competition with nine goals, levelwith Ajax's Sébastien Haller. The Bayern striker is one of three players to have found the net in all five matches, alongwith Haller and Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United.

Champions of Germany for a record 31st time last season – with a landmark ninth successive Bundesliga title –Bayern have reached the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals or better in nine of the last ten seasons, theexception their defeat by eventual champions Liverpool in the 2018/19 round of 16.

Bayern are one of three sides to have won their first five games in 2021/22, along with Liverpool (Group B) and Ajax (C).

The Munich club won all six group games in their victorious 2019/20 campaign and could join Real Madrid (2011/12, 2014/15) as the only side to achieve the feat twice. AC Milan (1992/93), Paris Saint-Germain (1994/95), Spartak Moskva (1995/96) and Barcelona (2002/03) all made it six wins from six although, unlike Bayern two seasons ago, none went on to win the trophy.

The Munich club are through to the knockout phase of the UEFA Champions League for the 24th time in 25 attemptsand the 14th season in a row.

Last season's first-leg defeat by Paris ended Bayern's run of eight successive home UEFA Champions Leaguevictories. They have also won both matches in Munich this season, making it ten home group stage victories in a row.

Bayern have recorded only five victories in their last 11 matches against Spanish clubs (D3 L3), though they areundefeated in the last six (W4 D2).

Bayern's away record against Spanish clubs is W8 D7 L15. A 4-0 win against Atlético de Madrid on Matchday 1 lastseason ended a run of three games without a home victory (D1 L2).

Barcelona

Barcelona were third in the 2020/21 Spanish Liga behind Atlético and Real Madrid, the first time they had finishedout of the top two since 2007/08, when they also came third.

Last season Barcelona also failed to reach the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since2006/07, losing to Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16 (1-4 h, 1-1 a). That ended their record run of 13 successivelast-eight appearances.

The Catalan club had finished second in Group G behind Juventus, with both sides picking up 15 points; a 3-0Matchday 6 win at the Camp Nou gave the Italian side the head-to-head advantage. It was the first time Barcelonahad not won their group since 2006/07, when they were also eliminated in the round of 16.

The defeat by Juve was Barcelona's first loss in the UEFA Champions League group stage since a 3-1 reverse atManchester City on Matchday 4 in 2016/17; their record in the previous 25 group games was W19 D6.

• The Matchday 1 loss to Bayern was the first time Barcelona had suffered successive group defeats since September2000. The 3-0 defeat at Benfica on Matchday 2 made it three group reverses in a row for the first time.

That 2000/01 campaign is the last in which Barcelona failed to progress beyond the initial UEFA Champions Leaguegroup stage.

Barcelona had not lost their opening UEFA Champions League game since a 3-2 defeat at Newcastle on Matchday1 in 1997/98. They finished bottom of their section that season with five points; that is also the sole UEFA ChampionsLeague group campaign in which they lost more than two games.

Barcelona's four defeats in their last eight Champions League matches (W2 D2) is as many as in their previous 39(W25 D10).

Bayern's win at the Camp Nou on Matchday 1 made it three successive home European defeats for the first time inBarcelona's history.

Barcelona have failed to score in three group games for the first time.

Barça have won only ten of their last 23 away matches in European competition (D8 L5), although they were unbeaten in eight (W5 D3) before losing at Benfica on Matchday 2.

The Catalan club had been unbeaten in six matches against German clubs (W4 D2), since their second-leg defeat at Bayern in the 2015 semi-final, before losing to the same opponents in the 2019/20 quarter-finals. They drew 0-0 at Dortmund on Matchday 1 the same season before a 3-1 home success.

That draw at Dortmund means Barcelona have won only two of their last eight matches against Bundesliga opposition in Germany (D4 L2), although they did also beat Juventus 3-1 in the 2015 UEFA Champions League final in Berlin.

LINKS AND TRIVIA

Coutinho spent 2019/20 on loan at Bayern from Barcelona, scoring eight times in 23 Bundesliga games in addition tohis two goals in Bayern's 8-2 victory in the 2020 UEFA Champions League quarter-final. He helped Bayern to a trebleof Bundesliga, German Cup and UEFA Champions League.

Have played in Spain:

Lucas Hernández (Atlético de Madrid 2014–19)

Marc Roca (Espanyol 2016–20)

Have also played in Germany:

Marc-André ter Stegen (Borussia Mönchengladbach 2010–14)

Ousmane Dembélé (Borussia Dortmund 2016/17)

Luuk de Jong (Borussia Mönchengladbach 2012–13)

Ter Stegen played against Bayern seven times for Mönchengladbach. His record was W2 D1 L4 with 17 goalsconceded and only two clean sheets.

Have played together:

Corentin Tolisso & Samuel Umtiti (Lyon 2014–16)

International team-mates:

Manuel Neuer, Niklas Süle, Joshua Kimmich, Leon Goretzka, Serge Gnabry, Thomas Müller, Jamal Musiala, LeroySané & Marc-André ter Stegen (Germany)

Lucas Hernández, Benjamin Pavard, Corentin Tolisso, Kingsley Coman, Dayot Upamecano & Clément Lenglet,Samuel Umtiti, Ousmane Dembélé (France)

Marcel Sabitzer & Yusuf Demir (Austria)

Hernández, Umtiti, Tolisso, Benjamin Pavard and Dembélé were all members of France's 2018 victorious FIFA World Cup squad. All bar Dembélé featured in the final.

Neuer and Ter Stegen are rivals for Germany's No1 spot.

Pavard and Upamecano both played in France's 2-1 win against a Spain side featuring Eric García, Sergio Busquetsand Gavi in the UEFA Nations League final on 10 October.

Gnabry opened the scoring in Germany's 4-2 UEFA EURO 2020 qualifying loss against a Netherlands side featuringFrenkie de Jong and Memphis Depay on 6 September 2019.

Depay scored a penalty in the Netherlands' 2-0 win against Sabitzer's Austria in the UEFA EURO 2020 group stageon 17 June.Depay also found the net from the spot for the Netherlands in a 2-1 UEFA Nations League victory away to Poland on18 November 2020; Lewandowski set up the home side's goal.

LATEST NEWS

Bayern

Thomas Müller has scored 49 goals in the UEFA Champions League, group stage to final.

Bayern have won 18 of their 22 games this season in all competitions, beating Bielefeld 1-0 in the Bundesliga on 27November thanks to a Leroy Sané goal before Saturday's 3-2 victory at Borussia Dortmund.

Robert Lewandowski scored twice against his former club at the weekend, making it 118 away Bundesliga goals – one more than Klaus Fischer's previous record.

Saturday was the eighth time Lewandowski had scored two or more goals in a Bundesliga game against Dortmund, the most any player has struck twice against a club in the German top flight.

Müller made his 397th Bundesliga appearance for Bayern at Dortmund, surpassing Franz Beckenbauer's total. Onlythree outfield players have played more: Gerd Müller (427), Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck (416) and Klaus Augenthaler(404).

The German champions drew 1-1 at Borussia Mönchengladbach on 13 August on the first day of the Bundesligaseason and suffered a 2-1 league defeat at home against Eintracht Frankfurt on 3 October; they went down by thesame scoreline at Augsburg on 19 November, but have won their other 11 league games.

Bayern have scored 105 Bundesliga goals in 2021, setting a new record and surpassing the previous best of 101 setby Köln in 1977.

Bayern were beaten 5-0 at Gladbach in the German Cup second round on 27 October, their heaviest defeat in thecompetition and their biggest loss since a 7-1 Bundesliga defeat at Fortuna Düsseldorf on 9 December 1978. It wasalso the first time they had conceded five goals in a game since a 5-1 league loss at Eintracht Frankfurt on 2November 2019.

Bayern have been eliminated in the German Cup second round in each of the last two seasons.

Müller scored his 218th goal for Bayern in a 3-1 win at Greuther Fürth on 24 September, moving him to third in hisown right in the club's all-time list, above Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (217). Only Gerd Müller (563 goals) andLewandowski (320) have more than Müller's current total of 220.

Müller made his 600th appearance for Bayern in Augsburg; he has now featured 603 times, behind only Sepp Maier(702), Oliver Kahn (632) and Gerd Müller (607).

Julian Nagelsmann's team have already scored 79 goals in 22 games this season.

Bayern had scored in 85 successive matches in all competitions before the Gladbach defeat, a record for the top fiveEuropean leagues; the previous best was Real Madrid's 73 set in 2017.

Lewandowski has 16 Bundesliga goals in 14 games this season. He has scored 27 goals in 21 club games thisseason, and has 32 in 27 including his five international goals in six games for Poland.

Lewandowski has now scored 293 league goals for Borussia Dortmund and Bayern combined, the second highestBundesliga total of all time, behind only former Bayern striker Gerd Müller (365 goals).

Joshua Kimmich and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting have been sidelined by illness.

Sven Ulreich (back), Tanguy Nianzou (shoulder) and Bouna Sarr (adductors) all missed the Bielefeld match,Nianzou returning as a second-half substitute at Dortmund.

Marcel Sabitzer has missed Bayern's last three games with a calf injury.

On 29 November Lewandowski won the inaugural Striker of the Year award at the 2021 Ballon d'Or ceremony, where he finished as runner-up to Lionel Messi in the main vote for Player of the Year.

Barcelona

Barcelona won 3-1 at Villarreal on 27 November thanks to goals from Frenkie de Jong, Memphis Depay and PhilippeCoutinho, making it six games without defeat in all competitions (W3 D3).

That was the first time Barcelona had won consecutive Liga games this season, both victories coming under newcoach Xavi Hernández.

The unbeaten sequence was ended by a 1-0 home loss against Real Betis on Saturday, Barcelona's fourth defeat intheir last 12 league matches at the Camp Nou – as many as in their previous 95 home matches.

Barcelona have scored only 23 goals in their first 15 Liga games this season, their lowest tally at this stage since2003/04, when they had 19.

Jordi Alba made his 400th Barcelona appearance on Saturday, the 15th player to reach that landmark.

Depay has seven goals in his last nine games for club and country. The Dutchman's goals have earned Barcelona seven Liga points this season, the joint most in the Spanish top flight.

Former defender Dani Alves has rejoined Barcelona, although he cannot be registered until January.

The Blaugrana took 17 points from their first 12 Liga games this season, their second worst start to a season since three points for a win was introduced in Spain in 1995/96; they had 16 at the same stage in 2002/03.

Gavi made his full Barcelona debut in a 0-0 draw at Cádiz on 23 September. Aged 17 years 49 days, he was thesecond youngest player to start a Liga game for the club in the 21st century, after Ansu Fati (16 years 318 days).

Gavi was replaced shortly before half-time on Saturday having been struck by the ball, and was taken to hospital forobservation.

Fati made his comeback from a serious knee injury in September, but suffered a hamstring injury against Celta Vigo on 6 November and has not played since.

Sergio Agüero has been sidelined since being taken to hospital for tests after suffering a suspected chest injury shortly before half-time in the draw with Alavés on 30 October.

Pedri made his comeback from a thigh injury sustained on Matchday 1 against Benfica on Matchday 2 but suffered a recurrence of the problem and has not played since.

Martin Braithwaite sustained a knee injury in a 2-1 home win against Getafe on 29 August and has not played since after undergoing an operation.

On 1 December Barcelona confirmed that Sergi Roberto, who has not played for the club since 27 October, will undergo knee surgery.

Pedri won the Kopa Trophy for the best player under 21 at the Ballon d'Or ceremony on 29 November, and came 24th in the overall vote.