Bayern dry up Lewandowski and bring Barça back to Champions League reality
German football is in fashion. The Bundesliga is losing its appeal as a competition, but its teams are well prepared. Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, Eintrach, Leipzig and Dortmund are competing in this season's Champions League with the challenge of going all the way to the final in Istanbul.
Barça returned to the scene of the crime. To see their bogeyman of the last few seasons with whom the fans still have nightmares. Even Xavi asked for his Barça to be appreciated after this match in Germany against an opponent of his level.
The 2-0 win for Bayern is a failing grade for Xavi who is still determined to declare himself a winner on points after every defeat. "We deserved to win," he said without the slightest hint of embarrassment on his face.
It is true that this Barça is not the Barça of last season, nor the Barça of Koeman. There are other players, there is more quality and there are goals. Lewandowski returned home and was greeted with a standing ovation, although his manner of leaving the club was undignified. The Polish striker had several clear goalscoring chances that he incomprehensibly missed.
Barça at the back are struggling to find a way to impose themselves on the strikers. Piqué plays little and the little he does play is not enough to sprint around chasing opponents. Araújo is a strong guy for clashes, but in Sané's goal he was slow in the run. Busquets is no longer as reliable a stopper in midfield as he has been in previous seasons.
The team has some lapses which detract from the good work of others such as Gavi, Pedri and Raphina. Bayern had five glorious minutes in which they hammered Barça. First in a corner where Marcos Alonso missed the mark and allowed Hernandez to finish and then in a bad pressure that allowed a counter that Sané defined with quality.
With Plzen out of the competition with zero points, Barça's future in the competition is at stake with Inter. And their image with Bayern at home.
Simeone has had enough of Griezmann's situation at Atlético. Playing 60 minutes had its appeal as a pressure measure, but it is now unsustainable. "We play better with Griezmann on the pitch," Simeone said after losing 2-0 to Leverkusen. A warning to the board to get their act together and negotiate a purchase with Barça. If not 40 million euros, then 25 million and the Frenchman can play 90 minutes and be integrated.
Grbic was back in goal for Atlético due to Oblak's absence. The Croatian is not a problem for Atletico's defence, the problem is that the rest of the team is not clicking and is in too much of a hurry to score goals.
Morata scores when the play is well set up and the ball comes to him clearly. It's hard for him to get down in the mud and then be on top. Joao Felix risks ending the season on loan if he doesn't get going and stop being an unimportant player.
Simeone ended up bringing on Cunha and Correa and attacking too much for what is usual for him. He regretted it in the press room and let fall the message to those who ask him for more joy in the game that he does not know how to win games like that.
The times of Qarabag are repeating themselves. Atletico's group has Brugge leading with six points and Leverkusen and Atletico with three. Porto are hidden away without a point, making it a group of death in which Atlético must know how to navigate in order to win qualification at home.