Barcelona 0-3 Bayern Munich: Catalans bow into Europa League with whimper with home defeat against German champions

Six-time winners Bayern Munich secured top spot in Group C as they waltzed to a comfortable 3-0 victory against Barcelona, maintaining their 100% record in the process.

It was a harrowing night for Xavi’s side, who had already been dumped out of the Champions League before kick-off, and provided little competition for their German opponents.

It took only ten minutes for the visitors to open the scoring, with Sadio Mane perfectly timing his run to burst onto Serge Gnabry’s through ball before delightfully finishing past Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

That put Bayern in control, with Barca offering little in response as they struggled to break into the final third. By contrast, Julian Nagelsmann’s side carried menace and speed whenever they broke forward, and they duly added a second on 31-minutes as Eric Choupo-Moting slotted through the ‘keeper from Gnabry’s pass.

It took the hosts until the 39th minute to register their first shot of the match, and even that was barely worth noting as Robert Lewandowski clattered into the wall. The striker was then left further frustrated when a penalty decision, originally awarded in his favour after a tackle by Matthijs de Ligt, was overruled following VAR intervention.

Bayern nearly rubbed salt into the wound after the break when Gnabry found the back of the net with a terrific curling effort, only to be judged offside, but in truth they were already cruising against a side who had no potency whatsoever in the final third. And they got the third in stoppage time as Benjamin Pavard got on the scoresheet.

Barca in the end failed to register a single shot on target across the 90 minutes, with their only two chances coming when Sergio Busquets and Ansu Fati fired high and wide.

TALKING POINT – Barca heading for the Europa League

Inter Milan’s 4-0 hammering of Viktoria Plzen in the tea-time kick off meant the result in this game was immaterial for Barcelona, as they had already been consigned to the Europa League.

Failing to qualify from the group stages of the Champions League is a financial catastrophe for Xavi’s outfit, who gambled on a big run in Europe by making some big money signings over the summer, such as Robert Lewandowski from Bayern.

They have already had to offload numerous players to balance the books, and will now have to settle for UEFA’s second tier competition after Christmas for the second successive season – that’s the first time that has happened in 25 years.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH

Serge Gnabry (Bayern Munich). It remains one of football’s great mysteries that Arsenal could not realise the potential of a player who has gone on to be a regular match-winner for one of the world’s biggest clubs.

That was evidenced once more as Gnabry stole the show at Camp Nou, grabbing two first half assists during a sparkling performance.

He was unlucky to see a goal of his own ruled out in the second half after straying just offside, but the timing and weight of the pass for both goals, particularly the first, was sublime.

PLAYER RATINGS

BARCELONA: ter Stegen 6; Bellerin 5, Kounde 6, Alonso 6, Balde 6; Kessie 6, Busquets 6, de Jong 5; Dembele 5, Lewandowski 5, Pedri 6. Subs: Torres 6, Raphinha 6, Fati 6, Garcia n/a, Torre n/a

Subs: Tenas, Pena, Pique, Alba, Gavi

BAYERN MUNICH: Ulreich 6; Mazraoui 7, Upamecano 6, de Ligt 7, Davies 7; Gnabry 8, Kimmich 7, Musiala 7, Goretzka 6, Mane 8; Choupo-Moting 7. Subs: Sabitzer 6, Muller 6, Pavard 6, Gravenberch n/a, Stanisic n/a

Subs: Schenk, Stanisic, Coman, Tel

KEY MOMENTS

10’ GOAL! BARCELONA 0-1 BAYERN MUNICH (Sadio Mane). It’s only taken ten minutes, but Sadio Mane clips the visitors ahead as he runs onto a through ball and then coolly finishes past Marc-Andre ter Stegen. First shot, first goal

31’ GOAL! BARCELONA 0-2 BAYERN MUNICH (Choupo-Moting). Wow! Another rapid Bayern attack and they double their lead as Eric Choupo-Moting grabs his sixth goal in the competition this season, running onto Gnabry’s pass before slotting through ter Stegen and into the back of the net

45’ PENALTY OVERRULED! Lewandowski breaks into the penalty area and referee Anthony Taylor awards a spot-kick after he’s brought down by Matthijs de Ligt. However, VAR ask him to take another look and he notices the defender gets a good chunk of the ball, so the decision is overturned

55’ GOAL RULED OUT! Gnabry gets the ball onto his left foot in the area and deliciously curls into the far corner, but he had strayed just offside before the pass was made to him

90+4′ GOAL! BARCELONA 0-3 BAYERN MUNICH (Pavard). It’s a first Champions League goal for the substitute! A wayward shot from Gnabry picks out the defender at the back post and he expertly tucks it away on the half-volley.

KEY STATS

• This is just Barcelona’s third defeat in their last 40 home Champions League games – and the second inflicted by Bayern Munich
• Bayern Munich have now won their Champions League group in five successive season