It doesn’t seem to matter which shirt Robert Lewandowski is wearing — Bayern Munich just keep getting the better of Barcelona either way. Bayern extended their recent dominance over the Spanish giants with a 2-0 win in the Champions League to show they can cope quite well without Lewandowski, who left to join Barca in the offseason.
It started out as a friendly homecoming as Lewandowski walked down the familiar steps of the Allianz Arena players’ tunnel before kick-off, hugging every one of his former teammates along the way. Bayern’s players didn’t extend the same level of hospitality once the game started.
After Lewandowski missed several good chances to score in the first half, Lucas Hernandez and Leroy Sane scored within a five-minute span in the second as Bayern took control of Group C with two wins in two games.
“Luck wasn’t on his side,” Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer said about Lewandowski. “For Lewy, it’s an emotional game, here, a bit like coming home.”
Sporting Lisbon also moved to six points in Group D after netting two late goals to beat Tottenham 2-0 at home.
The other group game between Marseille and Eintracht Frankfurt was marred by fan disturbances before kick-off, forcing riot police to intervene when opposing supporters launched flares and fireworks at each other. Frankfurt won 1-0 thanks to a first-half goal from Jesper Lindstrøm. Liver pool needed an 89th-minute goal to get their first win of the European campaign.
Joel Matip headed home a corner to give last year’s runners-up a 2-1 home win over Ajax, bouncing back from a 4-1 loss to Napoli in the opening round. A period of silence was held before Liverpool’s game, while Bayern fans showed their displeasure with Uefa allowing Queen Elizabeth’s death to disrupt the schedule by holding up a banner reading: “Last minute match delays and bans because of a royal’s death? Respect fans!”
Xavi angry
After losing 3-0 to Bayern in both group meetings last season — and with the 8-2 drubbing in the 2020 quarter finals still fresh in memory — there was hope among Barca fans that things would be different with Lewandowski on their side.
Instead it was just more of the same. After the Poland striker was uncharacteristically wasteful in the first half, Hernandez did his best Lewandowski impression when the defender popped up at the near post to head home a corner in the 50th minute.
Sane then pulled off a great solo effort. “I am angry. I do not like to lose. We did not deserve it,” Barca coach Xavi Hernandez told reporters.
“Last year I was angry because they were far superior to us. Today (Tuesday) I think we played better than Bayern. “We created many clear chances and it would have changed the match. In Champions League matches, it’s always about details.”
