Barcelona faces Bayern Munich in a thrilling clash. Can Barca’s counter-attacks finally beat Bayern's dominance? Read the preview and key insights here.
Barcelona meets Bayern Munich, two of the world's footballing superpowers in Europe, once again. However, as has usually been the case, they have never really found their spot against Bayern. Of the 13 matches played between the two clubs, Bayern Munich has bagged 10 while Barcelona has earned just 2 and 1 draw for them. However, they have a reason to believe in this one given their new manager, Hansi Flick, well understands Bayern Munich.
Bayern Munich vs Barcelona over Time
Bayern Munich has won Barcelona hands down comprehensively. Out of the last 7 encounters between the two, Barcelona won only 1, and the Germans expose the inadequacies of their opponents, especially during transition defense.
This time, though, Barcelona may feel that the tide could easily turn. Under the tutelage of former Bayern manager Hansi Flick, Barcelona has developed an approach that might exploit Bayern's aggressive stance-fussing-around style by going fast-paced and pressing, then finishing with a counter-attack.
Hansi Flick's Tactical Disadvantage
Hansi Flick, now at Barcelona, knows Bayern Munich inside and out and took the team to a couple of titles during his tenure. In fact, the current force of Barcelona lies in their excellent ability to press high and launch quick counter-attacks, which could trouble Bayern, as often Bayern leave open spaces behind the back line when their fullbacks have timed their surge forward well in the attack.
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They played their latest match against Sevilla using exactly such an approach: scoring as many as 5 goals while letting just 1 in. The win was achieved, but the game does not make Flick very pleased; as it is clear that even now there are various things to improve on compared to their defensive transition against Barcelona. Barcelona will have to be tighter at the back ahead of Bayern.
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Bayern Munich under Vincent Kompany
The aggressive play from Bayern Munich is surely going to be one of the major threats Barcelona faces in the match.
Then again, Bayern Munich plays a very intense game with many presses. Kompany has really aggravated the team with a sense of increased aggression and attacking flair. But in case of counter attacks or transitioned offense, which Barcelona is quite experienced with, Bayern's aggression could prove a weakness.
Jamal Musiala is not going to play, and Aleksandar Pavlović had already been ruled out for his team on account of an injury. Both are key players for their teams in the build-up play and pressing order, so their absence will be felt significantly more in the reign of control by Bayern.
Important Deficiencies for Bayern Munich
Bayern was exposed by their recent 3-3 draw against Eintracht Frankfurt. In general, Bayern's inability to win on the day stems from multiple defensive lapses, particularly in fast transitions. If Barcelona could push their full-backs forward while exposing Bayern's weaknesses, they could easily bring the game in their favor.
Does Barcelona Have the Defenders to Compensate for Their Transition Flaws?
The one concern in Barcelona's own defensive transition is what Bayern might find in that scenario to exploit against them. Bayern played to exploit errors, as their matches before versus this opponent showed. Barcelona will need to balance pushing forward with that much-needed defensive solidity, particularly versus high-pressure pressure from Bayern.
Final Words
This promises to be an interesting game for two teams that mirror two different styles. Barcelona should finally give Bayern Munich the defeat they have been dishing out historically, but the reverse factor could also be some defensive weaknesses Barcelona holds on their hands if they cannot somehow stop Bayern's threat as an attacking force.
This promises to be a tactical battle because both teams have their vulnerabilities, but for Barcelona, they have the jinx of not winning this game against Bayern. Will they finally do so? We will soon see.
