Barcelona ahead of the last two Champions League group-stage games
25 Oct 2022•Football![Barcelona ahead of the last two Champions League group-stage games](https://blog.betfinal.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1920,height=1280,fit=scale-down,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/https://blog.betfinal.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Barcelonas-Dembele.jpg)
The Dembele phenomenon cannot be explained
![Ousmane Dembele](https://blog.betfinal.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=300,height=200,fit=scale-down,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/https://blog.betfinal.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Barcelonas-Dembele.jpg)
The unruly French winger returned to Barcelona’s first team. After his three assists and a goal (Robert Lewandowski’s pass), he knocked down the previously highly acclaimed Athletic Bilbao. In fact, 10 minutes of brilliant play were enough for him.
Ousmane Dembele cannot be defined logically or coherently because his football is not born of common sense but absurdity. If he doesn’t possess the ball, he tangles around the pitch with his head down, feeling left behind. But when he gets it, he does everything in his power to unleash a storm. As Spanish journalists note: Dembele is nonsense.
When Barcelona goes through its worst days, there is no more annoying player than him. But then there are also times like last Sunday at Camp Nou. His lack of logic suddenly takes on a positive meaning, and then there is no more of a delightful footballer than him to watch. He becomes a footballing piece of art.
Barcelona in La Liga
The match against Athletic (4:0) was the second for Barcelona after the painful defeat against Real Madrid in El Clasico. While one might have assumed that the confident victory over Villarreal (3:0) was also the aftermath of a crisis in which the fantastic rival had been in for months, this time, it seemed that Lewandowski and company would have more problems against Los Leones. Especially as Ernesto Valverde, one of the most charismatic Spanish managers, once led FCB and is considered a very clever strategist. On that day, however, he looked like a coach who had absolutely lost his confidence. Nevertheless, looking at his CV, he appears next to Xavi as a professor.
And it is precisely at the level of coach decisions that there was such a big discrepancy between the two teams at Camp Nou. Valverde messed things up by moving his most creative players like Muniain and Sancet out of the first line-up in favour of more predictable and, in theory, responsible players like Oier Zarraga and Ander Herrera. It didn’t work.
Xavi, on the other hand, about whose decisions at important moments there have so far been plenty of objections and had him put in the role of a coach who still has a lot to learn, played brilliantly.
For the first time this season, he fit Busquets, De Jong, Gavi and Pedri into the midfield line. The latter played exactly as his great prototype Iniesta did years ago – as a false left midfielder.
Xavi gave Lewandowski a rampant Dembele to help out. And it worked brilliantly. The Frenchman and the Pole assisted each other on numerous occasions. RL9 already has 12 goals in the season and 17 in all competitions! So what would you need more?
Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League
![champions League](https://blog.betfinal.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=300,height=300,fit=scale-down,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/https://blog.betfinal.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/champions-League.png)
Unfortunately, Wednesday is coming up and probably the formal end of Xavi’s team in the Champions League. If Inter defeats Viktoria Pilsen (match at 6.45 pm, CET), Barca will be locked in third place in Group C, which means relegation to the Europa League. And the match against Bayern will be all about prestige.
Blaugrana has won only two out of 12 matches against Bayern Munich, and there has been a draw once. Last time, the Germans won smoothly 2:0. Last season, they beat Barcelona 3:0 twice, and before that, we had the famous 8:2 rumble! Barca hasn’t beaten FC Bayern in seven years. In fact, the Catalans are not just losing. They are being humiliated. Even a variation on that will make a difference, even if FCB is left with the Europa League only.
The Catalan “Sport” writes directly that the motivation of Bayern is to prove to Lewandowski that he was wrong when he left Germany, forcing a transfer on FC Bayern authorities beforehand. And that instead of having a chance to win the “Golden Ball”, he’s gonna have nothing again.
So, get ready for the upcoming two remaining UEFA Champions League group stage matches, have fun and bet wisely at your favourite betting site, betfinal.com.
Group C standings with two matchdays remaining. Only the top two teams advance
Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
1. Bayern Munich | 12 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 2 | +11 |
2. Inter Milan | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | +1 |
3. Barcelona | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 7 | +1 |
4. Viktoria Plzen | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 16 | -13 |
Top Betting Odds and Stats for Barcelona vs Bayern Munich
Barcelona vs Bayern Munich | |||
Head to Head | |||
13/09/22 | Bayern Munich | 2 – 0 | Barcelona |
08/12/21 | Bayern Munich | 3 – 0 | Barcelona |
14/09/21 | Barcelona | 0 – 3 | Bayern Munich |
14/08/20 | Barcelona | 2 – 8 | Bayern Munich |
12/05/15 | Bayern Munich | 3 – 2 | Barcelona |
Barcelona | |||
Last 5 | |||
23/10/22
Liga |
Barcelona | 4 – 0 | Athletic Bilbao |
20/10/22
Liga |
Barcelona | 3 – 0 | Villarreal |
16/10/22
Liga |
Real Madrid | 3 – 1 | Barcelona |
12/10/22
UCL |
Barcelona | 3 – 3 | Inter Milan |
09/10/22
Liga |
Barcelona | 1 – 0 | Celta Vigo |
Bayern Munich | |||
Last 5 | |||
22/10/22
GBI |
TSG Hoffenheim | 0 – 2 | Bayern Munich |
19/10/22
POK |
Augsburg | 2 – 5 | Bayern Munich |
16/10/22
GBI |
Bayern Munich | 5 – 0 | SC Freiburg |
12/10/22
UCL |
Viktoria Plzen | 2 – 4 | Bayern Munich |
08/10/22
GBI |
Borussia Dortmund | 2 – 2 | Bayern Munich |
Betting ODDS:
Barcelona to win Draw Bayern Munich to win
6/5 3/1 7/4
First Goal scorer
Robert Lewandowski: 7/2
Anssumane Fati: 7/1
Memphis Depay: 7/1
Sadio Mane: 15/2
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting: 9/1
Raphael Raphinha: 9/1
Serge Gnabry: 9/1
Thomas Muller: 9/1
Ousmane Dembele: 10/1
Mathys Tel: 10/1
Ferran Torres: 11/1
Kingsley Coman: 11/1
Jamal Musiala: 11/1
Arijon Ibrahimovic: 12/1
Paul Wanner: 16/1
Pablo Martin Gavi: 18/1
Leon Goretzka: 20/1
Pedro Gonzalez: 20/1:
Franck Kessie: 20/1
Pablo Torre: 20/1
Marcel Sabitzer: 22/1
No Goalscorer: 22/1
Joshua Kimmich: 25/1
Chadi Riad: 28/1
Frenkie De Jong: 28/1
Marcos Alonso: 28/1
Ryan Gravenberch: 28/1
Ramos Jordi Alba: 33/1
Matthijs de Ligt: 33/1
Marc Casado: 40/1
Noussair Mazraoui: 40/1
Alphonso Davies: 45/1
Sergio Busquets: 45/1
Josip Stanisic: 60/1
Benjamin Pavard: 60/1
Jules Kounde: 60/1
Hector Bellerin: 60/1
Gerard Pique: 60/1
Eric Garcia: 66/1
Alex Balde: 66/1
Dayot Upamecano 66/1
Team to score first
Barcelona No Goals Bayern Munich
6/7 22/1 21/20
Half Time
Barcelona Draw Bayern Munich
19/10 8/5 9/4
Correct Score
Barcelona Draw Bayern Munich
2-1 10/1 1-1 44/5 2-1 23/2
1-0 17/1 2-2 11/1 1-0 37/2
3-1 35/2 0-0 27/1 3-1 21/1
2-0 37/2 3-3 39/1 2-0 22/1
3-2 20/1 4-4 125/1 3-2 23/1
3-0 29/1 3-0 39/1
4-1 35/1 4-1 40/1
4-2 40/1 4-2 45/1
4-0 55/1 4-3 70/1
4-3 60/1 4-0 90/1
5-1 80/1 5-1 110/1
5-2 90/1 5-2 125/1
5-0 150/1 5-0 200/1
5-3 150/1 5-3 200/1
6-1 200/1 6-1 250/1
6-2 250/1 6-2 250/1
6-0 250/1 6-0 300/1
5-4 300/1 5-4 350/1
NOTE: The average odds comparison – source oddschecker.com. The odds are valid on the day of the article’s publication and may be subject to change before the tournament.
Published: October 2022
By Rafa