(Update: Bayern Munich Starting XI Prediction now added here at the bottom)
How extra special will Wednesday night be for FC Barcelona manager Hansi Flick and striker Robert Lewandowski? Flick played for Bayern Munich from 1985-1990 and managed the side from 2019-2021. As for Lewy, he scored 238 goals in 253 appearances for Bayern, during the eight years that he spent in Bavaria.
There are so many reasons that Bayern Munich visiting FC Barcelona is the standout tie of this week’s UEFA Champions League action.
UEFA Champions League Matchday 3 of 8
FC Barcelona vs Bayern Munich
Kickoff: Wed. Oct. 23, 8pm, Estadi Olympic Lluis Companys, Barcelona, Catalonia
FC Barcelona Preview Material: Team News
Bayern Munich Preview Material: Team News
UCL Standing, Form: FC Barcelona 16th, 3 pts, -+4 GD, LW Bayern Munich 15th, 3pts, +6 GD, WL
Obviously Lewandowski starts up top for this one! And with Raphinha playing the best ball of his life right now, he is undroppable. Lamine Yamal might just be The Next Big Thing in world football, so he stays in the first team, and there is your front line right there.
Here’s the rest of the first team prediction. And just below that, you’ll see the Bayern Munich prediction.
Starting XI Predictions
FC Barcelona
Inaki Pena; Jules Kounde, Gerard Martin, Pau Cubarsi, Alejandro Balde; Pedri, Marc Casado, Ansu Fati, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha; Robert Lewandowski
Bayern Munich
Maneul Neuer; Konrad Laimer, Dayot Upamecano, Kim Min-Jae, Alphonso Davies; Joshua Kimmich, Joao Palhinha; Michael Olise, Thomas Muller, Serge Gnabry; Harry Kane
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG.org. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.