Barcelona vs Bayern Munich: 5 key battles to watch out for | UEFA Champions League 2019-20
The Champions League will witness arguably the biggest game of the season as Barcelona takes on German champions Bayern Munich in a quarterfinal tie in Lisbon tomorrow. The fixture between the two European giants is a typical clash of the titans and is set to be an enthralling spectacle.
Barcelona has suffered a miserable season and the Champions League is its only hope of silverware this season. The Catalan club is an underdog only once in a blue moon but the Blaugrana's underwhelming form and Bayern Munich's incredible domestic season hand the mighty Bavarians a distinctive edge in this fixture.
Barcelona's extraordinary attacking talent can never be ignored, however, and Lionel Messi does have some interesting history with many of Bayern Munich's experienced superstars.
Bayern Munich holds a slight upper hand against Barcelona
Bayern Munich has scored an astonishing 31 goals in its 8 Champions League games so far and has been the most efficient team in the competition by a country mile. The German champions thrashed Chelsea by an 8-1 aggregate margin to qualify for the quarterfinals and are looking unstoppable at the moment.
A first-half Lionel Messi masterclass saw Barcelona defeat Napoli by a 3-1 margin at the Camp Nou last week. With the Argentine talisman in fine fettle, Barcelona is still one of the best teams in Europe and Bayern Munich has already experienced the full force of the Catalans' cutting edge in the past.
Barcelona has attacking talent all over the pitch and is unlikely to let mistakes go unpunished. With the Bayern Munich juggernaut in full flow, this fixture is set to feature more than a few excellent individual battles.
#5 Nelson Semedo vs Alphonso Davies
Alphonso Davies is arguably one of the best full-backs in the world at the moment. The Canadian defender's pace and dribbling skills can put most professional wingers to the sword and his presence in the final third is one of Bayern Munich's biggest strengths.
Alphonso Davies clocked the highest speed in the Bundesliga this season and his electric run against Borussia Dortmund has already made waves on social media. Barcelona's Nelson Semedo will have to wear his running boots on Friday to go toe-to-toe with the Bayern Munich sensation.
The Barcelona right-back has improved tremendously under Quique Setien and often finds himself in advanced positions on the right flank. With Alphonso Davies on the pitch, however, Semedo will have to be wary of Bayern Munich's threat on the counter.
#4 Sergio Busquets vs Thomas Muller
Sergio Busquets is one of the most crucial components in Barcelona's squad. The Catalan veteran has not been at his best this season but his absence was clearly visible against Napoli. With Ivan Rakitic performing the role of the pivot for Barcelona, the Italians easily dominated possession and created several chances in the second half.
Busquets will be against Bayern Munich's Raumdeuter, Thomas Muller. The German forward's intelligence makes him a lethal threat in the attacking half on the pitch. Muller serves as the link between the midfield and the attack for Bayern Munich and has racked up 21 assists in the Bundesliga.
Sergio Busquets possesses the rare ability to perceive and anticipate every single event on the pitch and will have to be at his peak to deal with the dangerous Bayern Munich forward. Thomas Muller's understanding of space on the football pitch is one of his biggest assets and Barcelona will have to devise a plan to nullify his movements.
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