On the run. With dynamite. Scaring away ghosts. At full revs. With passion and precision. With surgical efficiency. And putting soul, heart and life. With all this, Barça subdued its bete noire, the colossus Bayern, and certified that it is in a state of grace. Nobody like Raphinha exemplifies all of these constants. The Brazilian achieved a stellar triplet. He opened the score and solved it. It was unattainable for Bayern’s defenders and indecipherable for Neuer. Three goals from the winger and one from Lewandowski to create a dream score. After six consecutive defeats, rout after rout, from Bayern to Barcelona revenge came. Just before the classic on Saturday, Flick’s team hits the table again and finally starts to eat with the greatest in Europe. He has a goal, discipline, physicality and faith, above all faith. The one that led him to get up in the worst moments of a match that was not as easy as the result indicates.
The meeting was pure fire. A total centrifuge. A coming and going. A beautiful spectacle. Without respite. No trials. From the first second. Because barely had the match been uncorked than the Barça fans were already on their feet celebrating a goal. Because Fermín, starting for the first time this season, enabled Raphinha in depth. Old Raphinha, with time to think, would surely have stumbled. But the new Raphinha, captain’s armband, was patient, looked up, looked at Neuer, drew him intelligently and, at will, scored.
Barcelona advanced in a flash. Better, impossible, for the interests of Hansi Flick’s team. Couldn’t be better, right? Because what followed was an exhibition of play by Bayern during a stretch in which the Barcelona fans neither pressed nor attacked. They couldn’t. They chased shadows and didn’t see the ball. The German team was testing it, with possession at that time above 70%.
Raphinha destroyed Bayern on the run and they were never able to stop him
Kompany’s team had the ball and they swung from one side to the other, synchronized, a rhythmic dance marked by Kimmich and continued on the wings. In that scenario, the tie was only a matter of time. Kane did it, but his goal was disallowed for offside. Barça was saved almost by the hair of a shrimp but shortly after the 1-1 truly materialized. Olise, on the right, found Gnabry on the left and his center was scored by the incombustible Kane.
All the memories of Bayern’s thousand and one swords against Barcelona emerged again on Montjuïc. If there was no click, Barça could spend another nightmare night. But if the Blaugrana goal woke up Bayern, the Bavarian team’s goal woke up Barça.
Especially to a Lamine Yamal who until then had not participated. The kid took the lead of the team, he dribbled, he dared, he created tunnels and, under his mantle, Casadó and Pedri grew bigger. Between the three of them they managed to make Barça grow, shake off the pressure from Bayern and be the recognizable and brave team at the start of the season.
The Barcelona team rose after the Bavarian draw thanks to Lamine Yamal, Casadó and Pedri
As his team settled more frequently in Bayern’s field from then on, the balls began to reach Lewandowski. The Pole warned his former teammate Neuer with a deflected shot and after half an hour he put Barcelona back in front.
The forward took advantage of a serve from Fermín, the second of the night, to not forgive. Bayern protested a push by the midfielder to Min-Jae before the pass. The truth is that the contact existed. The referee interpreted that it was not enough. It was expensive for a Barça that had recovered and would still light another firecracker before the break with a psychological 3-1. Casadó, with so much impudence, pulled out of his hat a long Schuster-style and diagonal delivery for Raphinha, who cut past Upamecano with his left before finishing off with his right. The ball, with a fabulous trajectory, ended up in the net. See it to believe it. Montjuïc exploded with joy again.
Barça had the game clear after having been subdued for a long time but also after having stood up and broken mental barriers.
It would more than destroy them when Raphinha, in another supersonic counterattack, achieved the fourth after the restart. Lamie Yamal activated him into space and the Brazilian whirlwind crossed the ball in front of a desperate Neuer. Barça put the game on the line and not even a quadruple change of Company would change the situation. Goretzka, Musiala, Coman and Sané appeared. Flick responded by turning to De Jong first and Olmo later.
Barça even had moments of liking each other, with delicatessen rondos, a rabona from Lamine Yamal and shouts of “olé, olé” from the stands. The Blaugrana coach could have allowed himself to give Pedri, Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal a few minutes of respite. That Madrid scored five against Borussia Dortmund, while Barça scored four against Bayern. Let the classic begin.
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