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Bayern Munich will lock horns with Barcelona in their first game of the 2021-22 UEFA Champions League next week. Ahead of the match, Julian Nagelsmann has spoken about what Lionel Messi's departure means for the Catalan giants and how it will play a part in the fixture.
Bayern Munich travel to Camp Nou to face Barcelona on September 14th for their opening fixture of the Champions League group stage. Nagelsmann was asked to give his thoughts heading into the game. He told MARCA:
"We are looking forward to facing Barcelona next week. We will play in a wonderful city and at a great stadium. Two teams with an incredible tradition and great fans will face each other."
Both sides have had identical starts to their respective league campaigns. Both Bayern Munich and Barcelona are unbeaten in their three league games so far, having won two of them.
The two sides are the favorites to make it out of the group stage, with Benfica and Dynamo Kyiv filling the other two spots in Group E. This is sure to make for an exciting clash next week. It is worth noting that the last time the two sides met was in the 2019-20 Champions League. On that occasion, Bayern, then under Hansi Flick, ran rampant to win by a mammoth 8-2 margin against a hapless Barcelona.
"A great player has left" - Julian Nagelsmann on Lionel Messi's departure from Barcelona ahead of Bayern Munich clash
Nagelsmann was also asked how much of a difference Lionel Messi's absence will make on the game. The Argentine left Barcelona for PSG earlier this summer, which is bound to have a huge impact on the Catalan giants this season.
The Bayern Munich coach heaped praise on Lionel Messi and explained the Argentine's effect on the team. Nagelsmann said:
"A great player has left, one who put his stamp on the club for years. Messi had a lot of influence on and off the pitch, also in the dressing room. He also made organisational decisions, which makes me think that there are players who will now be a bit more liberated, filling the position he occupied. He is a world class player who knows how to decide matches by himself. Any team is better with Messi than without Messi."
It remains to be seen whether Barcelona will be able to cope without Lionel Messi during the game and this season as a whole. Alternately, it will also be interesting to see if Bayern Munich will be able to capitalize on the Argentine's absence.
Lionel Messi's PSG will travel to Belgium to take on Club Brugge in their opening group stage fixture on 15th September.
