Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich will hope to continue their impressive dominant record against Barcelona, when both teams clash in Lisbon, Portugal, on Friday night in the quarter-final of this season’s UEFA Champions League.
Bayern go into the encounter on the back of six wins to Barcelona’s two and two draws in their 10 previous clashes, which is an indication of the size of the task facing the LaLiga club.
In their last meeting in the semi-finals in 2015, Barcelona triumphed 5-3 on aggregate and went on to become champions.
But in 2013, Bayern inflicted on Barcelona one of their heaviest defeats in their Champions League history as they smashed them 7-0 on aggregate.
There is certainly pressure on Barcelona as they probably need to win this season’s Champions League to make it a successful campaign after relinquishing the LaLiga title to Real Madrid.
Barcelona have only lost two of their last 31 Champions League games, though, and are unbeaten in their last six matches against German clubs since the second-leg defeat to Bayern in the semi-finals of the 2015 competition.
Incredibly, this is Barcelona’s 13th successive Champions League quarter-final – a competition record.
The Catalan giants were incredibly knocked out by Liverpool in the semi-finals last season despite a 3-0 victory in the first leg and will be determined to go all the way to the final on this occasion.
Bayern were the only side to collect maximum points in this season’s group stage, meaning that they have won all eight of their Champions League fixtures this term, while they are unbeaten in their last 13 European games outside Munich, picking up 10 victories in the process.
The German giants have lost five of their last six knockout ties with La Liga teams, including defeat to Real Madrid in the semi-finals of the 2017-18 competition, while they have only won one of their last six matches against Spanish clubs, suffering three defeats in the process.
On the injury front, Barcelona will again be without Samuel Umtiti due to a knee injury, but Ousmane Dembele has returned to training following a long-term hamstring issue, and the Frenchman could be involved off the bench.
The Spanish club will also be boosted by the returns of midfielders Sergio Busquets and Arturo Vidal from suspension, and there is a feeling that both players will come into the starting XI.
As for Bayern, experienced centre-back Jerome Boateng will allegedly overcome the issue that he picked up against Chelsea to start, while Kingsley Coman is expected to be available following a muscular problem.
Coman could replace Ivan Perisic on the left of an attack which will also include Thomas Muller and Serge Gnabry, while Benjamin Pavard’s ongoing absence with an ankle injury means that Joshua Kimmich will continue on the right of a back four.
Meanwhile, Chilean star Arturo Vidal has warned his former side Bayern they are not about to face a Bundesliga club but Barcelona with Lionel Messi on their side.
“Bayern will be confident but they must know that tomorrow they’re not playing any old team in the Bundesliga, they’re playing against Barca,” he said.
“I understand the pessimism but we are the best team in the world. The problem is that we don’t always show it on the pitch and we recently lost the league. But we have Leo, we have the best players and we want to prove ourselves.”
However, Germany and Bayern legend believes 19-year-old Alphonso Davies will not be fazed by the presence of Messi, that the Argentine will be taken care of by the young left-back.
“Alphonso had a great season and was rightly voted Rookie of the Season.
“Should Messi play on his left side, Alphonso will take care of him. It will be a difficult but interesting task. Davies hasn’t been dribbled past or overrun much this season.”
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