Champions League: Bayern Munich vs Barcelona Live

Barcelona play Bayern Munich in Wednesday’s last Group E match, still without a guarantee of a spot in the Champions League knockout rounds. Julian Nagelsmann’s side has already secured first position, while La Blaugrana is in a two-horse race for second place with Benfica.

Bayern Munich has cruised through the Champions League group stage, winning five of their five games to advance to the last-16 as one of just three teams in the group – alongside Liverpool and Ajax – with an undefeated record.

Nagelsmann’s side had to work hard for their win over Dynamo Kiev on the penultimate day of the season, but they eventually prevailed courtesy to goals from Kingsley Coman and Robert Lewandowski, whose goals were crucial once again in Der Klassiker over the weekend.

After a potential penalty for Borussia Dortmund was waived away and Lewandowski tucked home a controversially awarded spot kick to sink his former club in a 3-2 victory, Jude Bellingham’s post-match tirade on referee Felix Zwayer made all the headlines.

No side in the 2021-22 Champions League has scored more goals in the group stages than Bayern Munich, who have scored at least two goals per game and have already scored five goals at the Allianz Arena against Dynamo Kiev and Benfica.

Nagelsmann’s team hasn’t been without flaws this season, but they’ve won eight of their nine home games in all competitions since the season began, highlighting Barcelona’s teething problems under Xavi. For a club of Barcelona’s calibre, a pair of 1-0 victories over Dynamo Kiev is scarcely cause for celebration, especially after they failed to guarantee their second-placed finish in Group E after being held to a goalless draw by Benfica on matchday five.

The Blaugrana are two points ahead of their Portuguese opponents in second place, but they have a poorer head-to-head record, and Benfica will be confident of beating Dynamo Kiev, so Xavi’s team are in grave danger of relegation to the Europa League.

Real Betis’ Juanmi handed Xavi his first defeat as Barcelona manager over the weekend, snapping the Catalan club’s six-game unbeaten run in all competitions.

Barcelona has only three wins in their past nine games across all competitions, but they should be encouraged by their away success in Europe, where they have only lost one of their last ten Champions League games on the road.

However, against a well-oiled Bayern machine, such a streak may melt into insignificance, with the German champions running wild in a 3-0 Camp Nou win earlier this season — Barca’s fifth defeat in their previous six games against the Bavarian powerhouses.