Barcelona vs. Bayern Munich result: Robert Lewandowski scores twice, German side crushes Blaugrana

Simon Borg

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Barcelona vs. Bayern Munich result: Robert Lewandowski scores twice, German side crushes Blaugrana image

This is how far Barcelona has fallen: Many thought it was very possible the Blaugrana would be crushed by Bayern Munich in the first Champions League group stage match. And it happened. Barcelona was thoroughly outmatched in a 3-0 loss, bowing down to two goals by Robert Lewandowski and another from Thomas Muller.

Muller has scored more UEFA Champions League goals against Barcelona than any other player in history and he got his German side ahead on a 34th minute shot that was deflected on its way to goal. Lewandowski added to Barcelona’s misery in the second half with two goals off rebounds from shots by teammates that struck the woodwork.

Barcelona was rarely threatening, coming closest on a set-piece header by defender Ronald Araujo. In the second half Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman introduced a parade of teen players with the result clearly out of reach for his club.

"It's a tough result playing at home," Barcelona's Gerard Pique told CBS postgame. "It's true Bayern Munich is a very experienced club with great players playing together for a long time. They scored off a rebound — a little bit of bad luck from our side — and then the second goal was very painful for us. At the end of the day, we played with four or five kids who are 18 years old and I think they competed amazing. We have to invest in them. They are the future of the club." 

MORE: Updated Champions League standings and results

Once mighty Barcelona has a fight on its hands to even advance from Group E, which also features Dynamo Kiev and Benfica. Koeman has warned fans that the club is in for a tough season after failing to re-sign Lionel Messi and losing other players to transfers. The club was also without three star attackers due to injury.

"It's true it's not the best time since I've been here," Pique continued. "But I think we will grow up, we will be better and I'm sure at the end of the year we will compete for the titles. There are a few players that I think can give us a lot that are injured right now: Ansu [Fati], Ousmane [Dembele] and [Sergio] Kun Aguero. And we have to keep winning until they come back because I think they can help us a lot."

FC Barcelona vs. Bayern Munich final score

  1H 2H Final
FC Barcelona 0 0 0
Bayern Munich 1 2 3

Goals:
BAY — Thomas Muller — 34th min.
BAY — Robert Lewandowski — 56th min.
BAY — Robert Lewandowski — 85th min.

(All times Eastern)

Final: Barcelona 0, Bayern Munich 3

85th min.: Another goal for Lewandowski! Another case of a teammate hitting the post and Lewandowski picking it up, dribbling past Pique on the ground and depositing in the back of the net. His 75th Champions League goal.

83rd min.: SUBS - Triple change for Bayern with Josip Stanisic, Kingsley Coman and Marcel Sabitzer coming on.

82nd min.: Balde has livened the crowd with his runs down the left wing. Meanwhile, his teammate Gavi gets a yellow card.

77th min.: Coutinho's shot toward goal is deflected. Barcelona still can't muster much in attack though at least Coutinho is trying. Bayern has taken its foot off the pedal. The result is not in doubt.

73rd min.: SUBS - Another teen on for Barcelona. Alejandro Balde comes in for Jordi Alba, who signaled to be replaced. Alba also just became a meme for Barcelona Twitter:

70th min.: SUBS - The parade of replacements continues. Serge Gnabry on for Jamal Musiala for Bayern.

66th min.: SUBS - Both teams introduce fresh legs. Lucas Hernandez on for right back Benjamin Pavard ... Barcelona center back Eric Garcia is off and Oscar Mingueza replaces him. Philippe Coutinho is also in the game for Barcelona forward Luuk de Jong, who had a forgettable debut.

59th min.: SUBS - Barcelona is bringing on the kids. Gavi (17) comes on for Sergi Busquets and Yusuf Demir (18) comes on for Sergi Roberto on the right wing. Pique now wearing the captain's armband from Busquets.

56th min.: Goal!! And there's the second. Bayern just blasting shots in the box. Musiala fires off the right post and then Robert Lewandowski puts home the rebound. It's way too easy. Bayern are barely celebrating that goal. Not what you'd expect to happen at the Camp Nou.

52nd min.: After a neat combination in the penalty area, Leroy Sane gets a shot off in the box that's stopped by Ter Stegen with a kick save. The Bayern attackers can weave their way through Barcelona with relative ease.

46th min.: The second half is underway. Will Bayern pour it on against Barcelona?

Halftime: Barcelona 0, Bayern Munich 1

Halftime: Did Bayern Munich even break a sweat in that half? It was such a comfortable half for the German side, which wasn't ever too troubled by what Barcelona had to offer. It felt like Bayern's goal was always coming: The team's attackers were simply more enterprising and dangerous than their predictable Barcelona counterparts. It's taken this Barcelona playing in Europe for fans to witness just how far Barcelona has fallen after a summer that saw the club lose some of its best players. This Barcelona might have a tough time getting out of the group. It's sad to see.

40th min.: What a play by Alphonso Davies. Memphis Depay just tried to get by him and Davies schooled him: He stripped Depay of the ball and glided right by him.

38th min.: Barcelona's first real attempt is weak. A cross by Jordi Alba from the left and it's over the head of Frenkie de Jong, who made a run into the box.

34th min.: Goal Bayern! Thomas Muller has space to fire a shot from 20 yards out and it takes a deflection off the back of Eric Garcia and gets past Ter Stegen. Bayern is up and wants more.

31st min.: Bayern into the Barcelona box again! The German attackers are more fluid with their movement and ready to interchange and combine. That's causing issues for Barcelona, but it's an offside that foils Bayern here.

27th min.: Fantastic sliding block by Pique in the box to foil Bayern. Then a minute later Barcelona's Ronald Araujo had a wide open set-piece header in the Bayern box that he sends high. Both sides coming close.

21st min.: Many were expecting Barcelona to get crushed in this one and it’s not like that at all. Barcelona is very much in this game.

19th min.: Chance for Bayern! Sergi Roberto with a giveaway in his own half and it’s Leroy Sane with a shot that Ter Stegen has to punch away.

15th min.: Sergi Roberto meets a cross from the left side with a shot over the bar. Barcelona are getting through and behind the Bayern back line. Looks like the Blaugrana are targeting that left attacking flank (away from Alphonso Davies).

10th min.: Wow. Ball into Lewandowski in the box and Ronald Araujo pushes him in the box and Lewandowski hits the ground after trying to stay on his feet. Looked like a penalty, but the English officials weren’t interested.

9th min.: Lewandowski wins a free kick for Bayern about 25 yards out, but the German side can’t take advantage. This game can’t get out of gear.

5th min.: Referee Michael Oliver shows Joshua Kimmich an early yellow card for pulling down Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong. Nothing comes of the ensuing free kick.

4th min.: Slow pace to start this one. Barcelona knocking it around in its own half under the Bayern pressure.

1st min.: We’re off. Bayern immediately high pressing.

2:58 p.m. ET: The Barcelona faithful don’t enjoy the Champions League theme song like some of us do:

FC Barcelona vs. Bayern Munich: Starting lineups

FC Barcelona starting lineup (3-5-2, left to right): 1-Ter Stegen-GK — 24-Eric Garcia, 3-Pique, 4-Ronald Araujo — 18-Jordi Alba, 16-Pedri, 5-Sergi Busquets, 21-Frenkie de Jong, 20-Sergi Roberto — 17-Luuk de Jong, 9-Memphis Depay

Bayern Munich starting lineup (4-2-3-1, left to right): 1-Manuel Neuer-GK — 19-Alphonso Davies, 4-Niklas Sule, 2-Dayot Upamecano, 5-Pavard — 6-Joshua Kimmich, 8-Goretzka — 42-Jamal Musiala, 25-Thomas Muller, 10-Leroy Sane — 9-Robert Lewandowski

How to watch Barcelona vs. Bayern Munich

  • Date: Tues, Sept. 14
  • Time: 3 p.m. ET
  • TV Channel: UniMas, TUDN
  • Streaming (USA): fuboTV , Paramount+
  • Streaming (Canada): DAZN

Barcelona vs. Bayern will be televised by Univision's UniMas and TUDN networks. Both channels are carried by fuboTV (free 7-day trial for new subscribers). Paramount+ will have an English-language stream of the match.

DAZN has the UEFA Champions League rights in Canada and will stream the match for subscribers.

 

Simon Borg

Simon Borg Photo

Simon Borg is a senior editor at The Sporting News who has covered football/soccer for over a decade. A supporter of Italian club Parma Calcio from his years growing up in Europe, he was previously a long-time member of Major League Soccer's digital media team, as a multimedia content producer, on-air personality, and Editor-in-Chief. Based in New York City, Borg is multilingual and has covered the domestic and global scene for TSN since 2021.