Bayern Munich Beat Barca 2-0 Upon Lewandowski Return, But Doubts Remain

Bayern Munich has beaten Barcelona 2-0 in what was considered the big comeback game by former star Robert Lewandowski. Although Lewandowski had his chances, second-half goals by Lucas Hernández (50’) and Leroy Sané (54’) secured Bayern all three points in ultimately comfortable fashion.

In fact, the speed of Barcelona’s capitulation after the first goal was impressive. Bayern had just struggled through the first 45 minutes just to break the deadlock through a Hernández header after a Joshua Kimmich corner. Then just four minutes later, the game was finished when Sané uncorked Barca’s defense to make it 2-0.

“In the first half, Barcelona had the better chances than us—our final ball wasn’t quite there,” Bayern head coach Julian Nagelsmann said after the game. “Things got much better in the second half, and our efficiency made the difference today.”

Lewandowski, on his own, could have probably ended it in the first half. “We’re lucky that he sent that volley over the bar, and I was there in the second chance,” Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer said after the game. “We showed a good defensive performance today.”

That second part was genuine, but only in the second half. In the first half, Alphonso Davies, in particular, had to rush back on several occasions to put out fires. The Canadian was lucky that his foul on Ousmane Dembélé inside the box (44’) was not deemed a penalty.

Then came the two quick-fire goals by Bayern in the second half that, in many ways, will paint over the many shortcomings of the first half. The bottom line, however, remains that the Rekordmeister, after struggling in three straight Bundesliga games, once again had periods in which the teams had issues containing the opponent.

But perhaps the fans and media have been too harsh on Bayern? “We shouldn’t exaggerate; we won our CL games,” Neuer said. “We had space against Inter and Barcelona. However, we have to do better against compact teams at the back. Such an opponent is now waiting for us on the weekend in Augsburg.”

There is an element of truth to Neuer’s statements. Bayern had a fantastic start, and many observers felt that the Bundesliga was wrapped up in August after wins against Frankfurt (6-1), Wolfsburg (2-0), and Bochum (7-0).

With a goalscoring record of 15-1, Bayern seemed unstoppable in the league, but then came the three ties. First Gladbach held Bayern to a 1-1 draw, then Union Berlin took a point of Bayern in their 2-2 draw, and finally, Stuttgart also managed a 2-2 draw after going down twice at the Allianz Arena.

The three Bundesliga games without a win were interrupted by the very convincing 2-0 win against Inter Milan at San Siro. The game against Inter was perhaps the best performance this season until those ten minutes against Barca today that secured Bayern another three points and a historic 30 group stage game in the Champions League without a defeat—equaling a record set by Real Madrid.

Perhaps the media has been too harsh on Bayern. The Rekordmeister has now beaten Inter Milan and Barca in the group of death and can essentially qualify for the next stage with two wins over Viktoria Plzen.

The doubts will remain until results improve in the Bundesliga. Up next is Augsburg, a side that will not give Bayern the space Barca did in this game. Furthermore, the Rekordmeister might be without Hernández and Dayot Upamecano, who both picked up injuries tonight.

That is perhaps the main takeaway from the Barça match. Bayern got the job done and saw off Lewandowski on his return to the Allianz Arena, but doubts will remain until Bundesliga results improve.

Manuel Veth is the host of the Bundesliga Gegenpressing Podcast and the Area Manager USA at Transfermarkt. He has also been published in the Guardian, Newsweek, Howler, Pro Soccer USA, and several other outlets. Follow him on Twitter: @ManuelVeth