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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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#3 Frenkie de Jong vs Leon Goretzka
Barcelona and Bayern Munich are teams that love dominating possession and the battle of supremacy between Frenkie de Jong and Leon Goretzka will be one of the defining themes of this fixture.
Leon Goretzka has been one of Bayern Munich's best players since the Bundesliga restart and has shown tremendous improvement since the start of the season. The German star is one of the most complete midfielders in the world and his incredible physicality and intelligence allow him to dominate the middle of the pitch.
Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong may not have hit the spectacular heights he managed at Ajax just as yet but is still one of the club's most promising prospects. The Dutch midfielder had an excellent game against Napoli and is equipped with the ideal set of skills required to counter a midfielder of Leon Goretzka's calibre.
#2 Gerard Pique vs Robert Lewandowski
Robert Lewandowski is the best striker in the world at the moment. The Bayern Munich hitman has not put a single foot wrong this season and is currently the top-scorer in the Champions League with 13 goals. The Polish star has scored an incredible 54 goals this season and will be Bayern Munich's chief threat against Barcelona.
Barcelona's defence will have to be on guard against the prolific striker and Gerard Pique will have to be his best self to stand a chance against Robert Lewandowski. The Barcelona veteran has put in a few brilliant performances this season and will need to pull a rabbit out of the hat to keep Robert Lewandowski quiet.
Lewandowski is one of the most lethal strikers on the planet and Bayern Munich relies heavily on its talisman to score on a regular basis. Barcelona will have won half the battle if it keeps the Polish striker out of the game and Gerard Pique will have a massive responsibility on his hands.
#1 Lionel Messi vs Jerome Boateng
With Lionel Messi on the pitch, anything can happen. The Barcelona captain is the best player in the world and was at his ruthless best in the first half against Napoli. The Italians had no answer to Lionel Messi's mesmerising dribbling skills and Bayern Munich will not relish the prospect of facing the Barcelona superstar.
Lionel Messi pulled off a legendary performance against Bayern Munich at the Camp Nou in the 2014/15 season. The Barcelona forward scored an excellent goal to beat Manuel Neuer and the open the scoring in the 75th minute.
What followed was an iconic goal that will be spoken about for generations to come. Lionel Messi's agility left Bayern Munich defender Jerome Boateng sprawling on the floor and Neuer was helpless yet again as the Barcelona great chipped the ball over him to score one of the most stunning goals in the recent history of the Champions League.
Check out Lionel Messi's Net Worth here.
Bayern Munich needs Jerome Boateng to hold his own against Lionel Messi on Friday. The Barcelona captain is in excellent form at the moment and will be looking to replicate his memorable feats against the Bavarian side. Bayern Munich's defence has been slightly inconsistent this season and cannot afford a single slip-up against the best player in the world.
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