Barcelona found out who they will face in the Champions League group stages this season and there is one familiar face – Bayern Munich. The Catalan club has not had the best of recent memories against the German giants in Europe’s elite competition.
The Champions League group stage this season is an unknown quantity to clubs and fans alike due to its revamped structure. The draw in itself happened in a totally unprecedented way and took some understanding.
Post the draw, Thomas Muller was the first one to react to facing Hansi Flick and Barcelona in the group stage. Many of the Bayern players know the Catalan club’s coach very well from his time with the Bundesliga giants.
It was under Flick that Bayern handed Barcelona one of their worst defeats of all time. Following Muller, two more stars – Manuel Neuer and Joshua Kimmich have reacted to the draw as quoted by Mundo Deportivo. Here is what Neuer had to say:
“We are confident of qualifying directly. We want to prove our position and win. Barcelona and PSG started the season well. We are looking forward to seeing Flick again.”
German midfielder Joshua Kimmich also had his say on the reunion with Flick. Here is what the 29-year-old had to say:
“Really looking forward to seeing Hansi Flick and Barcelona again and also the game against Paris Saint-Germain. For me, these are formally the two strongest opponents, although you shouldn’t underestimate any of the other clubs. These can all be very tight games.”
Both Bayern players have exuberated their usual confidence and are bullish about the fact that they can qualify directly to the Round of 16, which would mean a top-8 finish in the revamped group stage table.
Barcelona under Hansi Flick will be aiming for the same thing, which is to directly qualify for the Round of 16. The Spanish club has not had the best of times in this competition in recent seasons and will be keen to make amends. The German coach in particular would be keen on getting one over his former team.
Flick’s Barcelona have made an impressive start to La Liga, winning three out of three and sitting four points clear of Real Madrid. Let’s hope they can take the same form into the Champions League and put on a show that their fans can enjoy.
