Barcelona secured a dominant 4-1 victory over Bayern Munich in a thrilling Champions League encounter, their first win over the German giants since 2015. The game exploded into life right from the first whistle, with Raphinha giving Barça a dream start, netting within 60 seconds after Bayern’s risky high defensive line was exposed.
Vincent Kompany’s Bayern Munich persisted with their aggressive high line, which had already cost them in a previous defeat to Aston Villa. Their strategy backfired almost immediately, with Barcelona exploiting the space behind Bayern’s defenders.
Despite Bayern’s efforts to control possession and spread the play wide, they found themselves vulnerable at the back. Harry Kane thought he had equalized early on, but his goal was ruled offside, and Barça’s high-press kept the German side in check. Kane finally found the net, making it 1-1, but the Bavarians struggled to impose their game.
Barcelona retook the lead through Robert Lewandowski, who capitalized on a defensive mix-up.
Raphinha then added two more goals, completing his hat-trick with a stunning weak-foot finish just before halftime to make it 3-1. Bayern’s defense was left chasing shadows, and the final blow came when Raphinha sealed a 4-1 scoreline.
The game looked more like tactical misjudgment by Kompany, who chose to bench Musiala and persist with a high line, leaving Bayern vulnerable to Barcelona’s quick transitions. Bayern will need to regroup and rethink their defensive strategy moving forward in the competition.
