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Barcelona lost 2-0 to Bayern Munich in their UEFA Champions League Group C clash on Tuesday, September 13. The Bavarians now occupy the top spot in the group, while Barca and Inter Milan are level on three points.
Bayern came into this game having won their opening game 2-0 against Inter Milan. They were looking to maintain their unbeaten start against a familiar foe in Barcelona. Julian Nagelsmann handed teenager Jamal Musiala a well-deserved start for this key clash.
Barca, on the other hand, came into this fixture after thrashing Viktoria Plzen 5-1 in their opening game. Robert Lewandowski scored a hat-trick in that game. Xavi Hernandez handed the Pole a start as he made his first appearance against his former club in a Barca shirt.
As expected, the game was played at a high tempo from the very beginning. Both sides created good chances to score but Barcelona had the better ones. Lewandowski had two golden opportunities to grab the lead but failed to test Manuel Neuer adequately.
Pedri and Gavi made electric starts, carrying the ball from midfield and into Bayern Munich's defensive third. The former even attempted a shot but it sailed wide. The hosts faced an early setback as Benjamin Pavard was forced off with an injury. Noussair Mazraoui was brought on to replace him.
Barcelona were clearly the better team as they looked more fluid and organized in attack and defense. However, their forwards were not clinical enough to put their chances away. They were handed regular boosts as Bayern were poor in possession, giving the ball away cheaply on several occasions.
However, the match remained goalless as the two sides headed into the break.
Bayern Munich came out for the second period with a specific gameplan. They played with great character and determination, looking to force Barcelona on the backfoot. The hosts grabbed the lead just five minutes into the second period.
Lucas Hernandez scored from a Jamal Musiala corner after 50 minutes. Leroy Sane then produced a moment of individual brilliance minutes later, latching onto Joshua Kimmich's pass before slotting past Marc-Andre ter Stegen. They turned the game around in a four-minute spell, leaving Barca with all the work to do once again.
Both Nagelsmann and Xavi made several changes as they looked to rotate their squad, albeit for different reasons. However, Barcelona dropped off a lot and failed to find their way back into the game. Bayern Munich won 2-0 and walked away with all three points.
That said, let's take a look at how the visitors' players fared in the game.
Barcelona Player Ratings
Marc-Andre ter Stegen - 6.5/10
Ter Stegen had a relatively quiet first half as he was not tested sufficiently by Bayern's players. He made two saves in the game and passed the ball with 93% accuracy.
Jules Kounde - 7/10
Kounde was deployed as the right-back for tonight's game. He won four of his five duels, making two clearances and two tackles. He also played three accurate long balls.
Ronald Araujo - 6.5/10
Araujo played with spirit and contended with every possible ball he could go for. He won three of his eight duels, blocking one shot and making one tackle.
Andreas Christensen - 6.5/10
Christensen looked solid in defense and played for 70 minutes before being subbed off. He won all three of his duels, making two clearances and one block. He also played two accurate long balls.
Marcos Alonso - 7.5/10
Alonso looked sharp on the left flank, often ending up being the one to spark their counterattacks. He won five of his nine duels, making three clearances, three interceptions and one tackle. He passed the ball with 90% accuracy, including three key passes, five crosses and two long balls.
Gavi - 7/10
Gavi played his natural game as he made a strong start to the game. He passed the ball with 83% accuracy, including four key passes and one cross. He also created one big chance. Gavi won two of his five duels.
Sergio Busquets - 7/10
Busquets made his debut for Barcelona exactly 14 years ago, to the day! He captained his side as they traveled to Munich with a vengeance. He won nine of his 12 duels and passed the ball with 79% accuracy, including one long ball. He was also booked for a foul.
Pedri - 7/10
Pedri was incredible on the ball as most of Barcelona's transition play took place through him. He passed the ball with 88% accuracy, including three key passes and six long balls. He also attempted two shots, with one on target and the other hitting the woodwork.
Raphinha - 6.5/10
Raphinha was disappointing in the early stages of the game but soon found his feet. He had a good chance just after the restart but squandered it, meaning all three of his attempts were off target. He won four of his 12 duels, playing one accurate long ball.
Ousmane Dembele - 6/10
Dembele made a slow start to the game as most of Barcelona's play went through the center of the pitch. He attempted just one shot which was blocked. However, Dembele played four long balls and won six of his 16 duels.
Robert Lewandowski - 7/10
Lewandowski made a sharp start against his former teammates as he had a few early chances to score. He attempted a game-high seven shots, with two on target, missing two big chances to score in the process. He also won seven of his 13 duels and played two key passes.
Substitutes
Frenkie de Jong - 7/10
De Jong came in close to the hour-mark. He passed the ball with 88% accuracy, including one key pass, one cross and one long ball. He also won all four of his duels.
Ferran Torres - 6.5/10
Torres came on to replace Raphinha and had a decent game. He attempted two shots, with one off target and the other blocked. He won three of his five duels.
Eric Garcia - 6.5/10
Garcia went on to replace Christensen and put in a decent performance.
Ansu Fati & Franck Kessie - N/A
The pair came on late in the game and did not play enough minutes to warrant a rating.
