Jersey Swap: Raphinha
Talk about putting your stamp on a game!
The 27-year-old Brazilian international had a slow start to his Champions League career, failing to score in his first 10 UCL matches. But the FC Barcelona winger had a blistering start to this one, starting in the first minute and not letting up. Raphinha had put Bayern Munich to the sword with a hat-trick by the time all was said and done.
Operating on the left wing in this Battle of the Impossibly High Lines, Raphinha routinely found space in behind, around, and through Bayern’s Raphaël Guerreiro. Where Vincent Kompany’s men fumbled and flubbed their many opportunities going forward, Raphinha took just a few clean looks at goal and buried them all with ice in his veins. Three shots, three on target, three goals. Manuel Neuer and his back-line will be having nightmares about this for weeks to come.
Der Kaiser: Dayot Upamecano
Tasked with drifting high up the pitch to lock down Barcelona forward Robert Lewandowski — and how did that turn out? — Upamecano and Kim Min-jae had their moments introducing the physical side of the game to their opponents. But they also had to deal with a lot of space behind, some of it not even their own to cover. Upamecano in particular was cleaning up on the right flank after Barça’s wingers beat make-shift right-back Guerreiro again and again and again — sometimes getting back in time to make the intervention, and sometimes, as on the third goal, just barely not.
The scoreline is not flattering for Bayern’s CB duo but it should be even less flattering to Kompany’s tactics. To the final whistle, Upamecano was doing his best to defend stoutly in the box, and he had plenty of work far up the pitch too. It was a solid effort on a day where the game just ran away from everyone, starting with the coach.
Fußballgott: Thomas Müller
Where was the Bayern midfield? Getting bypassed more often than not. João Palhinha put in some physical challenges high up on the field, but on the ball, the Portuguese international did not offer the up-tempo dynamism Bayern could have used. Nor did Joshua Kimmich, who had a tough match from start to finish — snatching at the air on the opening goal, which came in the first minute, and snatching at Lamine Yamal in the 83rd as the Barça youngster uncorked a delicious cross that Robert Lewandowski probably should have buried for a fifth.
So on to the attacking midfield ranks we go.
Thomas Müller at least showed some fire in his belly. Barça gave Bayern stunning amounts of space and the Raumdeuter was all over interpreting it. His early cross to Harry Kane was ruled out for offside by the sliver of a knee, and you know what? It was just that kind of day for Bayern.
But Müller was one of the only Bayern players that brought the intensity and determination needed to get a result today. That deserves a shout.
Also: how badly is this midfield missing Aleksandar Pavlović?
Der Bomber: Serge Gnabry
This wasn’t a banner day for any of Bayern’s attackers. Faced against Barça’s youngsters, it was Bayern’s more seasoned vets that could not show their composure — loose touches, indecision, and an infuriating inability to stay onside. The Bavarians made a hash of the fresh opportunities Hansi Flick’s ultra-high line presented them throughout much of the first half and parts of the second.
This was the chance for Bayern to seize the game, the way the Bayern of old has always done ruthlessly. They let it slip, and even the second-half replacements, Leroy Sané, Kingsley Coman, and Jamal Musiala did not bring their A-game.
Gnabry, at least, notched an assist for Bayern’s only goal. But in all the space he had to operate, the German international needed to do a lot better.
Meister of the Match: Harry Kane
One goal scored, another narrowly disallowed. Harry Kane could not drag Bayern back into this one but it was not for lack of trying.
As the game wore on, the England captain found himself spending a comical amount of time in his own half, even stepping up to make important defensive interventions as Barça danced around Bayern’s vulnerable flanks. His scoring touch and his terrific passes from deep — slicing through multiple ranks of Barcelona lines and finding Bayern wingers in space, only for nothing to come of it all — teased at the game that might have been.
Kane was ready for this one, and he’ll be ready for the next one. But the team as a whole found itself completely overrun. Now he’ll have to pick up the pieces — and his teammates’ spirits — and move on. ◆
What did you think of the awards? Does anybody else deserve a shout? Join in the conversation at Bavarian Football Works and let us know your thoughts in the comments!
Looking for more thoughts and analysis on how FC Barcelona dismantled Bayern Munich in the Champions League? Well, buckle up. This Bavarian Podcast Works — Postgame Show will be a ride that you will want a ticket for. You can check it out on Patreon, Spotify, or below:
As always, we appreciate all the support!
