Bayern Munich: Five takeaways from Barcelona victory
By Daniel Garza
Bayern Munich defeated Barcelona for the second time this season in the UEFA Champions League group stage and it was the exact same scoreline as their first meeting. The hosts led 2-0 at halftime and added a third goal in the second half to win 3-0. Bayern’s victory ensured they remained undefeated in the group stage as they took 18 points from a possible 18. The loss for Barcelona sees them finish third in the group as they will now be in the Europa League knockout rounds. Here are five takeaways from the 3-0 win.
Thomas Muller’s 50th UCL goal
It was a special moment for Muller when he scored his first-half goal. The goal was his 50th career Champions League goal as he becomes the first German player to reach this milestone in the competition. With his 50th career goal, Muller is now tied with Arsenal legend Thierry Henry for seventh place in all-time goals scored in the competition.
Leroy Sane sets new career-high goal number
Sane’s strike in the 43rd minute increased his goal total in the Champions League this season to five goals. This is the most goals Leroy Sane has scored in a Champions League season in his career. His previous best was from the 2018/19 season when he scored four goals in eight appearances for Manchester City.
Incredible defensive record
The clean sheet result against Barcelona left Bayern with just three goals conceded in the group stage. This defensive record was tied for the best record of the group stage as Real Madrid also allowed just three goals. The last time Bayern conceded only three goals in the group stage was during the 2015/16 Champions League campaign.
Best offensive record
Bayern’s 22 goals scored during the group stage was the top goal tally in the competition. Ajax was close behind with 20 goals and Liverpool was third with 18 goals scored. Die Roten also had the best goal differential as their combined offensive and defensive efforts resulted in a +19 differential. Ajax was the next closest club in goal differential as they posted a +15 differential.
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Sane and Lewandowski finish as top offensive players in the group stage
Although Robert Lewandowski was unable to score his tenth goal of the group stage, he did pick up an assist on Wednesday night. As a result, he will finish with a combined goal and assist tally of 11. His nine goals and two assists tie him with Ajax’s Sebastien Haller in this statistical category as the two strikers were certainly the top offensive individual performers during the group stage. Sane didn’t finish far off from the two strikers as he registered a combined goal and assist total of nine which was good for third place.