Bayern and Barcelona have met 10 times before in European competition, with the Bavarians coming out on top on six occasions, drawing two and losing another two. Coming into Friday’s Champions League quarter-final in Lisbon, fcbayern.com takes a look back at the previous encounters.
1995/96: Bayern defy favourites to lift UEFA Cup
The first competitive meeting was in the semi-finals of the 1995/96 UEFA Cup. Despite the Catalans being favourites, Bayern claimed a 2-2 draw against Johan Cruyff’s team in the first leg at the Olympiastadion. Marcel Witeczek and Mehmet Scholl netted for FCB, who were up against it in the reverse fixture in front of 115,000 spectators at the Camp Nou. The Bavarians were phenomenal on the night and took a 2-0 lead through Markus Babbel and Witeczek. Ivan de la Peña got one back for Barca shortly before the end, but Bayern were through to the final, where they claimed their first European title in 20 years with victory over Bordeaux.
1998/99: Two group wins
Two and a half years later, the sides met in the first Champions League group stage, with Bayern claiming victory in both games. Stefan Effenberg was the hero in the narrow 1-0 win in Munich, before Ottmar Hitzfeld’s side went to Barcelona and recorded a 2-1 triumph. Alexander Zickler and Hasan Salihamidzic were the scorers in the Camp Nou, where Bayern would return later in the tournament for the final against Manchester United.
2008/09: No chance for Bayern in Catalonia
The Bavarians had an unhappy visit to Barcelona in the quarter-final first leg in 2009. A team featuring Lionel Messi, Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Thierry Henry blew away an injury-ravaged Bayern to comfortably win 4-0. The return leg in Munich was a better showing, although the 1-1 draw wasn’t enough to overturn the first-leg deficit as Barca progressed on their way to winning the Champions League.
2012/13: Putting on a show en route to the treble
Bayern got revenge in some style four years later in the 2013 semi-finals. Jupp Heynckes’ side ensured they had one foot in the final after just 90 minutes when Thomas Müller (2), Mario Gomez and Arjen Robben all netted in a 4-0 thrashing at the Allianz Arena. A week later in Barcelona, FCB kept their foot on the gas and recorded an equally impressive 3-0 win thanks to further strikes from Robben and Müller, as well as an own goal by Gerard Pique. It was the final step on the road to Wembley and the subsequent victory over Dortmund and the treble.
2014/15: Dream of Berlin final ended
Two years after the treble, the Bavarians and Catalans met once again in the semi-finals. This time, the first leg was in Spain, where it remained goalless for almost 80 minutes, before the hosts chalked up a clear win with three late goals. An early strike from Medhi Benatia in the second leg provided hope of a comeback, but a first-half brace from Neymar nipped that in the bud. Robert Lewandowski and Müller made sure FCB won 3-2 on the night, but it was Barca who went through to the final in Berlin, where they beat Juventus for the title.
Will the champions come from this tie?
Bayern kick-off their tournament in Lisbon on Friday against the Spanish side as they look to progress to the semi-finals. The Munich and Barcelona clubs have alternated victories in knockout ties in the past, with the winners always going on to lift the trophy. History says that this year it’s Bayern’s turn…
Barcelona ended the 2019/20 season as runners-up in Spain but beat Napoli to reach the Champions League quarter-finals. Find out more about the Catalans’ form here 👇
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