Preview, Team News, Line Up

FC Barcelona will look to make history on Tuesday night by trying to beat Bayern Munich at home for the first time in the Champions League.

With an 8-2 quarter-final triumph in 2020, and then two back-to-back 3-0 wins in the group phase last year, the momentum should clearly be with the Bavarians.

In the meantime, however, a new-look Barca have been revitalized under Xavi Hernandez and have made a string of top signings including one of Bayern’s all-time highest scorers in Robert Lewandowski, who is in top form.

Though Bayern kicked off their Champions League campaign with a 2-0 away win at Inter Milan last week, they are having a tough time in the Bundesliga as of late compared to their usual lofty standards and three consecutive draws find them in third while talk of a crisis on Julian Nagelsmann have crept in.

Making an example of Barca yet again would silence the critics, but the man in the other dugout is keen on flipping the script.

“There are a lot of expectations, but tomorrow’s game doesn’t change anything at all, whether we win, draw or lose, no conclusions can be drawn,” Xavi first insisted, alongside saying that the Allianz Arena isn’t a “house of horrors”.

“It’s a challenge to win here, we haven’t done it, nine months have passed since the last time and everything looks different, we arrive at a much better time, we have been working together for nine or ten months, we have improved in many aspects and we feel capable of competing,” he also pointed out.

“We have the feelings, the hope and the challenge that we can finally win and change history and the dynamic,” Xavi further stated.

Helping him to try and do this will be a Marc-Andre ter Stegen who has conceded 17 goals in five appearances against Munich but has a new look defence in Jules Kounde at right back, Ronald Araujo and Eric Garcia pairing in the center, and Alejandro Balde further pushing Jordi Alba out of the fold.

In midfield, captain Sergio Busquets acts as pivot and Frenkie de Jong is expected to be snubbed once more in favor of Gavi and Pedri in midfield.

Up top, Lewandowski stars against his old club for the first time and will be flanked by Ousmane Dembele and Raphinha on the right and left wings respectively.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomsanderson/2022/09/13/fc-barcelona-look-to-make-history-against-bayern-munich-in-champions-league-preview-team-news-line-up/