Bayern against Barcelona is a European heavyweight clash for the final game of Champions League Group E in 2021/22. Robert Lewandowski is chasing yet more records and Thomas Müller faces his favourite opponent, while the Spanish side are fighting to progress to the knockout stage at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday. We’ve got some of the best facts and figures to whet your appetite for this huge tie.
1. Bayern have one over Barcelona
The Bavarians have won their last three meetings with the Catalans (3-2 in May 2015, 8-2 in August 2020 and 3-0 in September), which is already the longest winning run ever by a team against Barcelona in Europe. Barca have suffered more Champions League defeats (seven) and conceded more goals (25) against Bayern than they have against any other club. The Spanish side have also failed to win any of their four Champions League visits to Munich (D1, L3). There’s no other team Barca have played so many times away from home in the competition without recording a single victory. Conversely, there’s no team Bayern have hosted more times in the Champions League without being beaten (also four vs. Dynamo Kyiv and Spartak Moscow).
2. The Bayern goal machine
Julian Nagelsmann’s side are averaging five goals per home game in Europe this season (5-0 vs. Dynamo and 5-2 vs. Benfica), which is the best rate in the 2021/22 Champions League. The Reds have also scored at least two in each of their last 11 home matches in the competition. That’s the best run by any team in the Champions League since Bayern themselves did so in 13 straight fixtures between September 2010 and December 2012.
3. FCB aiming for perfect group stage
Bayern are one of three teams alongside Liverpool and Ajax with a perfect haul of 15 points from the first five games this season. FCB are now on target to achieve a perfect group phase for the second time, after 2019/20. Real Madrid are the only team to have achieved that feat twice (2011/12 and 2014/15). It’s the 12th time the German record champions have won their Champions League group – a feat only bettered by Barcelona under the current format since 2003/04 (14 times). Bayern are also on a run of 27 group games without defeat (W24, D3), which is second in history only to Real Madrid’s 30-match streak between 2012 and 2017. FCB have won 22 of their last 23 group fixtures on home soil, with the only blip being the 1-1 draw with Ajax in October 2018.
4. Lewandowski on the record hunt again
Lewandowski is currently the top scorer in the Champions League this season with nine goals, and could become the first player to reach double figures in the competition’s group stage for the second time. He previously achieved that feat in 2019/20 with 10 goals. The only other players to make it into double figures in the groups are Cristiano Ronaldo (11 in 2015/16) and Lionel Messi (10 in 2016/17).
5. Lewy’s competition with Ronaldo
Nine goals from the first five group games already equals Lewandowski’s second-best return for a Champions League season with Bayern (also nine in 2015/16). The only years he’s got more in the competition were in 2012/13 (10 for Dortmund) and 2019/20 (15 for Bayern). Lewy is also on a run of scoring in nine straight Champions League appearances for the second time (previously across 2019 and 2020). Only Ronaldo has ever recorded a longer scoring streak in the competition (11 games from 2017 to 2018). Lewandowski has also won each of his last 21 Champions League games, which is a competition record.
6. Müller loves Barca
Bayern veteran Müller has scored seven times in six Champions League games against Barcelona – the most he’s got against a particular opponent in the competition and also the most any player has scored against the Catalans in European Cup history.
7. Barcelona under pressure
Since the Spanish side have an inferior head-to-head record with Benfica, a point in Munich will not be enough to progress if the Portuguese side also beat Kyiv at home. It would be the first time in 21 years that Barca failed to progress from the Champions League group stage.
Barcelona lost to Real Betis at the weekend:
Topics of this article