August 15, 2020, was one of the darkest days for Barcelona as they were humiliated by Bayern Munich in the UFA Champions League, losing the game by an 8-2 margin. But the Catalan side took revenge last night when they welcomed the German giant to play their third game in this tournament. Barcelona gave no chance to Bayern Munich and secured a dominating 4-1 win, thanks to Raphina’s brilliant hat-trick.
As It Happened
Barcelona welcomed Bayern Munich at Estadio Olimpico Luis Companys, where Barca boss Hansi Flick played his team in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Robert Lewandowski was at the center of their attack on the back of Raphina, Farmin Lopez, and Lamine Yamal. Meanwhile, Vincent Kompany set up Bayern’s formation in the same way that Flick applied with Barcelona.
The start was electric as Barcelona took only one minute to score the goal. Brazilian winger Raphinha broke the deadlock for Barcelona in just one minute with the help of Lopez. However, Bayern Munich reacted quickly and had a massive chance to equalize. In the 11th minute, Harry Kane found the back of the net, but his goal was ruled out due to offside. But the Bavarians did not stop and continued pressing high. As a result, they leveled the scoreline within a few minutes. Once again, it was Harry Kane who found the net in the 18th minute.
It seemed this match would be very competitive, but Barcelona took control again when Robert Lewandowski made the scoreline 2-1 from Lopez’s assist in the 36th minute. Barcelona became more aggressive after regaining the lead. Moreover, Barcelona scored their third goal within the first half as Raphina scored again with the help of Casado in the 45th minute.
Coming back from the break, Bayern Munich desperately tried to get back into the game. Unfortunately, they could not return another goal and conceded early in the second half. Raphinha completed his hat-trick when he found the back of the net in the 56th minute. Despite trying their best, Bayern Munich failed to score in the remaining minutes. As a result, Barcelona took their revenge and secured a thrilling 4-1 win over the German giant.
“We beat a fantastic team tonight,” said Barca boss Hansi Flick. “Barça VS Bayern is now a tradition in Europe. And this was a game between two teams with a similar philosophy. I like that we recovered after the goal. It was very important to win today and we did it, and by playing very well, very dynamic. But it is still very early. The season is only just starting,” Flick stated.
Meanwhile, Bayern boss Vincent Kompany said, “Barcelona are still an absolute top team in Europe, but it’s certainly no surprise that we want to win and show our best face.”
