Bayern Munich vs Barcelona: German Champions Still Have Upper Hand

• Robert Lewandowski returns to the Allianz Arena after a fine start to Barcelona career
• Bayern Munich continue to stutter in the Bundesliga with another draw at the weekend
• This should be a hugely entertaining encounter between two leading contenders

Bayern Munich vs Barcelona Odds

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Bayern Munich vs Barcelona Pick

Julian Nagelsmann’s side will be going all-out for victory over Barcelona, whom they had great success against last season.

Back Bayern Munich to score in both halves at the Allianz Arena (+112)

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Will Robert Lewandowski Come Back to Haunt His Former Club?

The name on everyone’s lips ahead of this game is Robert Lewandowski’s. The Poland international ended his eight-year stay at Bayern Munich in the summer, joining Barcelona for an initial fee of €45 million. Lewandowski pushed through the transfer, in effect forcing Bayern’s hand despite the fact he still had a year left on his contract in Munich.

Yet while the decision to move on was primarily Lewandowski’s, Julian Nagelsmann did not exactly stand in his way. Reports in Germany have stated that the Bayern boss gave his blessing to the board for Lewandowski to be sold. It is not that he doubted the striker’s quality –  153 goals in his last 133 games for Bayern tells its own story – but rather than Nagelsmann envisioned a more fluid frontline, one which did not contain a static center-forward in the mold of a 34-year-old Lewandowksi.

Only time will tell whether or not it pays off for Bayern. For Barcelona, the answer is clear already. Lewandowski has already scored nine goals for his new employers and is the outright favorite to finish as the La Liga top scorer. He began the 4-0 victory over Cadiz on Saturday on the bench, but it was no surprise to see him find the back of the net nonetheless.

With 13 points from the first 15 on offer, Barcelona have made a strong start to their La Liga title tilt. The group stage draw for the Champions League was more difficult than they would have liked – Inter and Viktoria Plzen are the other teams in this section – but this new-look Barcelona team is making their fans excited. A big performance against Bayern on Tuesday would be a major statement of intent.

Lack of Competition in Bundesliga Arguably Harming Bayern

The best online sportsbooks have Bayern down as the third-favorites to win this competition, behind only Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain. Despite being crowned champions in 2020, the club from Bavaria have a surprisingly subpar record over the last five years, with just two appearances in the last four. In both of the last two campaigns, Bayern have been knocked out in the quarter-finals – a premature stage to exit for a club that goes into every season aiming to lift the trophy.

Still, Bayern are a force to be reckoned with and it would be foolish to dismiss their chances of going all the way in this year’s edition. One oft-mentioned purported advantage is the fact that the Bundesliga title race is a non-event these days, allowing Bayern to turn their attention to Europe once the knockout stage is in full swing. Perhaps, though, the lack of competitiveness at home is actually harming Bayern’s chances of continental glory.

On the face of it, that might sound like a puzzling thing to say when Julian Nagelsmann’s side have drawn each of their last three games in the Bundesliga. But those slip-ups were in part down to misfortune and in part because Bayern took their eye off the ball. The fact they are not truly pushed in the Bundesliga lessens their focus and intensity – and that could ultimately have repercussions in the Champions League.

Still, Bayern are a formidable team when everything clicks and there is no danger of them losing concentration or lacking potency against Barcelona, a fellow giant of the European game. They eased to a 2-0 victory over Inter last week and will now be looking to make it six points from six in the Champions League.

Expect a Fast Start From Bayern and Chances at Both Ends

These two teams faced off in the group stage of last season’s tournament, but Barcelona struggled to lay a glove on Bayern. Nagelsmann’s charges won 3-0 away and 3-0 at home, contributing hugely to the Blaugrana’s elimination before the knockout rounds. Barcelona have made substantial progress since then, though, and they will pose a sterner test at the Allianz Arena this time around.

Even so, Bayern begin this game as strong favorites – and deservedly so. Xavi’s men still have something to prove against the very best sides on the continent, and their defensive unit will face a thorough examination against a Bayern team that has been creating scoring chances at will despite mixed results of late.

We can expect Bayern to come roaring out of the traps as they seek to make a fast start against Barcelona, who will be striving to make a statement of intent of their own. The German champions found the back of the net either side of half-time against Stuttgart at the weekend, and have done so in each of their last four meetings with their upcoming opponents.

Hence, our recommended wager for Tuesday’s tussle in Germany is Bayern Munich to score in both halves.

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