Bayern Munich vs. Barcelona: Is it too early to predict the winner?

With Barcelona ousting Napoli and Bayern Munich thrashing Chelsea in the Champions League round of 16, the quarterfinalists have been decided.

RB Leipzig will meet Atletico Madrid while PSG will face Atalanta in their respective Champions League fixtures. Manchester City faces Lyon, and Pep Guardiola must remember he has to remain cautious when he meets them. The most delicious fixture among all the quarterfinals is Bayern Munich taking on Barcelona.

Bayern Munich have shown what it takes to be a Champions League side. In their domestic title pursuit, despite lagging behind the likes Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig in the early stages, they turned the tides in their favor. Their manager was fired and then appointed Hansi Flick as an interim manager who thumped his authority on the position. Along with the Bundesliga title, they registered the DFB Pokal Cup to their name.

On the other hand, Barcelona are guilty of their failed job in La Liga. The Spanish outfit were on top when the pandemic struck and were leading the title race. However, they blew up the lead and handed the title to their arch-rivals, Real Madrid. The horrific defending by Barcelona was the major reason behind the slip. Moreover, for a club like Barcelona, a season with zero trophies doesn’t look good.

Bayern Munich have excelled in every department on and off the field. Not only have they gotten their signings right but also the strong bench has resulted in their outstanding season. Robert Lewandowski‘s exceptional stats is a nightmare for any defense coming up against him.

In 44 games, the Polish striker has 47 goals and 8 assists. Along with Lewandowski, Serge Gnabry and Thomas Muller have shared the goalscoring duties as they have collected 12 G/A and 13 G/A, (goals and assists) respectively.

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On the defensive front, the versatility of the players has been a big boost to the team. David Alaba can play as a LB, CB, and CDM. Joshua Kimmich can operate as CDM and RB. This versatility can be a big threat to any opposition as they cannot single them out.

On the other hand, Barcelona has loads of problems. They have relied on Messi to carry the burden on his shoulders. His back might be broken from carrying the load. Apart from the Argentine international no player has scored more than four goals.

The midfield lacks creativity as Arthur was sent to Juventus on a swap deal. Coutinho is on loan at Bayern and Lionel Messi is the only creator of goals. It’s Messy in the absence of Messi for the Catalan giants.

Barcelona’s defense in the Champions League hasn’t performed. They have faced 13.1 shots per goal and have only 14.1 interceptions per game compared to that of Bayern Munich’s 16.9. These stats can be detrimental when both sides meet.

Though it is too early to predict that Bayern Munich have an upper hand over Barcelona in the game and can go the distance, but it is the harsh truth and facts at the moment. However, football is a game played for 90 minutes on the pitch. Can Lionel Messi inspire his side against the Bavarians? Or will it be a cakewalk for Robert Lewandowski and Co?