Barcelona recorded an epic victory against European giants Bayern Munich on Wednesday, October 23, scoring four goals to Bayern’s one in the UEFA Championship match at Camp Nou.
Dynamic winger Raphinha scored a hat-trick, stunning Bayern and avenging the 8-2 drubbing Barca suffered in August 2020—the last game they scored against Bayern.
Lineups
FC Barcelona (4-2-3-1): Iñaki Peña – Koundé, Cubarsí, Iñigo Martinez, Balde – Casadó, Pedri – Raphinha, Fermín, Yamal – Lewandowski.
Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1): Neuer – Guerreiro, Upamecano, Kim, Davies – Kimmich, Palhinha – Olise, Müller, Gnabry – Kane.
How the Match Unfolded
Raphinha opened the scoring within seconds, running through on goal after a through pass from midfield and rounding Manuel Neuer to score on his 100th appearance for Barcelona. Harry Kane immediately responded for the Bavarians, but his rifle shot, which went past Iñaki Peña, was ruled out for offside.
Bayern continued to press, with Gnabry’s effort comfortably saved by Peña. In the 18th minute, Gnabry’s cross found Kane, who slid it into the back of the net to equalize. Barcelona then began to control the game, countering Bayern’s attempts with shots from Olise and Kane.
Lewandowski fired Barcelona back into the lead by slotting the ball into an empty net after a perfectly timed ball over the top. Raphinha doubled the advantage at the 45-minute mark with a brilliant curler through the defender’s legs into the far corner.
The second half saw Neuer almost gifting Lewandowski another goal but recovering just in time. Bayern came close to halving the deficit with Palhinha shooting wide. Raphinha completed his hat-trick following a beautiful play from Lamine Yamal, who delivered a crossfield ball that Raphinha slotted low into the corner.
Barcelona controlled the remainder of the match, securing a 4-1 victory and earning six points on the table, while Bayern remained on three points.
Post-Match Analysis
Vincent Kompany’s men were severely exposed by Barcelona’s high line, which they exploited twice—first for the opening goal and second through successive passes. Defensive fragility was evident as Bayern continued to play out from the back with little cohesion in their gameplay.
What’s Next
Barcelona will play Red Star Belgrade in their next Champions League fixture, followed by the highly anticipated El Clasico against Real Madrid this weekend. Bayern Munich will face Benfica in the Champions League.
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