For the 2nd time in a row, Spanish club FC Barcelona have failed to qualify for the Round of 16. This season, they have been eliminated from the group stage, losing the match against Bayern Munich.
Last night, the German side smashed Barcelona at Camp Nou, the home of Barca. As a result, FC Barcelona had to end their journey in the UEFA Champions League from the group stage and are now heading to the UEFA Europa League.
Match Report
Last night, Bayern Munich came to Camp Nou to play the second leg against Barcelona. Barca boss Xavi Hernandez set up the team formation with 4-3-3, while Bayern boss played his team in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
However, as Bayern Munich secured a place in the Round of 16 earlier, their manager gave rest to some key players. He benched goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and striker Thomas Muller. Meanwhile, the Barca boss played his best possible XI at Camp Nou.
Anyway, Bayern Munich started dominating from the start of the game. They highly pressed the home team at Camp Nou. Therefore, Bayern Munich took the lead in just ten minutes. Sadio Mane, who joined the German side in the last summer transfer window, scored that goal with the help of Serge Gnabry.
Although Barca kept more possession, but couldn’t take shots on target. Besides, the German side doubled their lead within the first half as Choupo Moting found the back of the net thanks to an assist from Serge Gnabry in the 31st minute. However, the home team couldn’t find the net in the first half. So, Bayern Munich went to the interval with two goals lead.
Returning from the break, the home team played relatively better football than in the first half. It was Bayern’s defense that prevented Bayern from conceding a goal. Moreover, the visitors got their 3rd goal in the injury time of the match. Benjamin Pavard scored that goal with Gnabry’s assist. With this assist, Serge Gnabry completed his hat-trick of assists in this game.
Due to this loss, Barcelona is eliminated from the tournament. Barcelona failed to qualify for the Round of 16 despite spending the most during the summer transfer window. Now, they have to play in the UEFA Europa League for the 2nd time in a row.
