A UEFA Champions League heavyweight bout is on the cards when Bayern Munich takes on Barcelona at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.
Bayern is fresh off a 4–0 thumping of VfB Stuttgart in the Bundesliga as Harry Kane scored his third hat trick of the season. Kingsley Coman's late strike helped seal the three points for Vincent Kompany's team that sits atop the German top flight, only ahead of RB Leipzig on goal difference with 17 points.
Kompany's side came up short in its last European outing at Aston Villa, falling 1–0 in a dull performance at Villa Park after the emphatic 9–2 victory over Dinamo Zagreb in the first Champions League matchday of the season. Bayern will look to right the ship and get back to winning ways in Europe but faces a tough task of taking down former head coach Hansi Flick's Barcelona, who've scored 39 goals in all competitions—the most in Europe and two ahead of Bayern's 37 goals.
The young Jamal Musiala returned to training on Monday and could feature off the bench while Aleksandar Pavlović suffered a broken collarbone in the win over Stuttgart and was forced off at the eight-minute mark. Josip Stanišić and Hiroki Itō are both close to returning from their respective foot and knee injuries but won't take part against Barcelona.
Here's how the Bundesliga giant could take the pitch against Barcelona.
Bayern Munich Predicted Lineup vs. Barcelona (4-2-3-1)
GK: Manuel Neuer—The legendary shot-stopper hopes to use his experience in between the sticks to lift Bayern to victory.
RB: Raphaël Guerreiro—Kompany could look to rotate and give Konrad Laimer a chance at right-back, but it's more likely that Guerreiro continues his run of matches at the positon.
CB: Kim Min-jae—Bayern have little depth at the center-back position with Eric Dier the only other fit and experienced defender available. The South Korea international looks to put in another shift at the back to build on his performance at the weekend.
CB: Dayot Upamecano—Upamecano has looked sharp so far in Kompany's system alongside Kim Min-jae. He'll have to be on alert for the full 90 minutes up against Robert Lewandowski.
LB: Alphonso Davies—The speedy full-back keeps his place in the team at left-back, looking to drive up the pitch and help out in the final third.
DM: João Palhinha—Palhinha steps into the midfield pivot alongside Kimmich due to Pavlović's injury.
DM: Joshua Kimmich—Kimmich has looked sharp in his return to his old position in the middle of the park, keeping things in check in front of the backline.
RW: Leroy Sané—The former Manchester City winger slots in at right-wing, aiming to cut in on his right foot and cause trouble for the Barcelona defense.
AM: Michael Olise—With Musiala unlikely to start and Thomas Müller playing the full 90 minutes against Stuttgart, Kompany could look to deploy Olise as a No. 10.
LW: Serge Gnabry—The 29-year-old has enjoyed a strong start to the season under Kompany but needs to be more involved in the final third having last scored in late September.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Bayern Munich Predicted Lineup vs. Barcelona: UEFA Champions League.
