The Champions League offers this Tuesday, September 13 a dream program with, at the top of the bill, an unmissable Bayern Munich - FC Barcelona (BeIN Sport 1, 9 p.m.), including the return to the Allianz Arena of ex-Munichois Robert Lewandowski now in the Blaugrana jersey.
To follow simultaneously, FC Liverpool - Ajax Amsterdam (BeIN Sport 3, 9 p.m.) of all dangers for the Reds of Jürgen Klopp heavily beaten in Naples (1-4).
Bayern under threat from FC Barcelona
There's nothing like a European football classic, revisited once again.
In this case, Bayern-Barça at the Allianz Arena this Tuesday evening smells of powder… Robert Lewandowski, the scorer transferred (for 45 M€) to Catalonia this summer, returns to Bavaria with the sharpest crampons than ever.
After five La Liga days, the Pole is already top scorer with six goals.
Last week, he scored a hat-trick against the Czechs of Plzen (5-1), on the first day of the Champions League.
At Barça, which is undefeated in the league and remains on four victories in a row, everyone is fine, thank you… Starting with the Frenchman Ousmane Dembélé, completely recovered at the start of the season, who strings together class gestures, decisive passes and goals.
Read alsoLiga: from banned to FC Barcelona executive, the redemption of Ousmane Dembélé
Saturday in Cadiz (0-4), coach Xavi only launched his stars – Lewandowski, Dembélé and Pedri – at the hour mark, after the opener, while sparing Raphinha, replaced in the 72nd minute.
These days, Barça seem well equipped to close the series of four consecutive defeats against Bayern, a series including the humiliating 8-2 received in the quarter-finals of the 2019-20 edition in the Final 8 in Lisbon.
Hypothesis all the more plausible as the Bavarians do not seem completely on their plate.
Winner 2-0 of Inter in Milan on Wednesday but held in check in Munich 2-2 by Stuttgart on Saturday, Bayern, sovereign in the Bundesliga ordinarily, remains on three draws in the league and only emerges in the 3rd provisional place, behind Union Berlin and Freiburg.
Besides, Bayern will appear without the injured Kingsley Coman, replaced by Serge Gnabry.
We go again 😀#UCL
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) September 12, 2022
Already, discontent is rising within the club.
“We did not have the right determination, we did not have the right understanding, squeaked president Oliver Kahn, after the draw in front of Stuttgart.
Far too little movement, far too little intensity, far too little energy!
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Hasan Salihamidzic, the former player now sporting director, does not hide a form of concern at the idea of confronting the Catalan cream.
"The coach must find how to rotate and play his team together," he said to Julian Nagelsmann.
Barça plays very good football.
He has Lewandowski in front, who takes advantage of every opportunity.
We have been warned…”
The Reds already back to the wall
At FC Liverpool, the lights are orange when it comes to hosting Ajax this Tuesday evening.
In the Premier League, the Reds only make a very average copy: 7th, six points behind leader Arsenal, after six days.
On the Champions League side, there is already fire following the slap received by the vice-champions of Europe in Naples, 4-1, and the standing of the visitor on Tuesday evening.
In eight years of presence, Jürgen Klopp had never experienced such a delicate comeback.
He must also currently compose without Oxlade-Chamberlain, Henderson, Curtis Jones, Naby Keita or Ibrahima Konaté.
Conversely, everything is going like clockwork for Ajax, which does not seem to be affected by the departure of its Brazilian striker Antony (to Manchester United, against €95m): six victories out of six in the Eredivisie, and an entry into perfect material against Glasgow Rangers at the Johan Cruijff Arena last Wednesday (4-0).
Intensity in perspective at Anfield Road…