Barcelona vs Bayern Munich
UEFA Champions League, KO: 20:00 Oct 23, 2024, Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys
Barcelona are set to take on Bayern Munich on Wednesday, 23 October in a blockbuster match in the Champions League.
Both clubs will believe that they are very much in the mix to win the competition this season so the opportunity to get one over the other is one they will both want to capitalise on.
To add more importance to the fixture, both clubs have already tasted defeat in the competition this season and another one here would leave them with an uphill task to finish inside the top eight.
How the bookies view it: Too close to call
Unsurprisingly, the bookies are sitting on the fence for this one and have put all three results very much in play. Betfred consider Barcelona as the marginal favourites with the home win being priced at 11/8 while a win for Bayern Munich has been priced at 13/8. The draw, which both teams would perhaps accept, has been priced at 3/1.
Recent head-to-head: Bayern dominance
The price of 13/8 for an away win looks excellent when you consider Bayern Munich's sheer dominance in this fixture in recent times. The German club have won their last six matches against Barcelona and haven't conceded in any of the last four. This six-match stretch includes the 8-2 win in the quarter-finals back in 2020.
Players to watch: A clash of old school front men
Not only does this match Hansi Flick take on his former club but it also sees Robert Lewandowski come up against the side where he became widely regarded as the most deadly number nine in world football.
Up until this season, the Polish goalscoring machine had failed to the heights he reached at Bayern but under Flick this season, he has enjoyed a phenomenal resurgence. The 36-year-old has already scored 14 goals this season in just 12 appearances across all competitions and will be keen to add to that tally against his former club.
The good news for Bayern Munich is that they have a goalscoring machine of their own. Harry Kane was far and away the top scorer in Germany last season and he has started the new season in similar form. The England skipper netted his sixth Bayern Munich hat-trick at the weekend and will be raring to go on Wednesday night.
Predicted line-ups
Marc-Andre ter Stegen has been ruled out for the season so this match could see Wojciech Szczesny make his Barcelona debut. The Catalans are also without Frenkie de Jong, Marc Bernal, Ferran Torres, Ronald Araujo and Andreas Christensen.
Bayern's injury list isn't quite as severe but they are missing a couple of key players. Most notably, they will be without Alexksanar Pavlovic in midfielder and chief playmaker, Jamal Musiala.
Barceloma: Szczesny – Kounde, Cubarsi, Martinez, Balde – Gavi, Pedri – Yamal, Olmo, Raphinha – Lewandowski
Bayern Munich: Neuer – Laimer, Upamecano, Kim, Davies – Palhinha, Kimmich – Olise, Muller, Gnabry – Kane
Anything else catch the eye?
Goals have been the order of the day for both clubs this season and neither manager is likely to take a backwards step here. Barcelona have scored 14 goals across their last four matches while Bayern Munich have scored seven in their last two. Over 3.5 goals to be scored on Wednesday has been priced at 5/6 by Betfred.
This UEFA Champions League match between Barcelona and Bayern Munich will be played on Oct 23, 2024 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Barcelona vs Bayern Munich prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
In December 2020 we sadly 
