Too great a punishment for a good Barça team in Munich

Xavi did not want Bayern against Barcelona to be a judgement on his project. What he’s building needs some time to come good. And a game, however important it is, does not serve to make definitive conclusions. In any case, the coach knows that the game will affect the fans’ thoughts.

The strong start to the season had awoken euphoria in Barcelona fans, who needed to reignite after so many failures. And the Allianz was the place to do it. They had to change history, having never won in Munich, and send Europe a message. 

The challenge was not easy - Bayern netted 14 against Barca in their last three games, However, Lewandowski had switched sides. With him, everything was possible.

Xavi picked his Gala XI with Alonso and Christensen coming in for Balde and Garcia. The objective was clear; more security at the back against such a powerful opponent. And Xavi was right, with both playing very well.

Barcelona shut out Bayern and had clear chances to score, but they didn’t. They left the Germans alive and that was the great error. In the second half, they came out well and in four minutes hit two knockout blows on Barcelona. Painful, unjust, as the result did not reflect the game. But that’s football. That’s the Champions League. 

Barcelona lost again in Munich but this time with dignity. They were superior in many moments and showed they are growing. As Xavi asked, we won’t draw conclusions ahead of time. This is just beginning. They did not change history but did offer a more worthy image of a team under construction.