Barcelona already started Wednesday’s game against Bayern Munich eliminated from the Champions League with two group stage matches to spare, but proved against the Germans that they might be Europa League level thanks to an awful 3-0 loss at the Spotify Camp Nou. The Blaugrana had zero fight, zero intensity, and zero creativity in attack and comfortably lost to a Bayern side that barely had to try for 90 minutes.
First-half goals from Sadio Mane and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting saw Bayern clinch the top spot in Group C on 15 points with one game to play, while Inter Milan finished second. Barcelona, who will finish third regardless of results on the final matchday, are headed for the Europa League.
Bayern raced into the lead with an early goal from Mane, who ran on to a pinpoint through ball from Serge Gnabry, fended off Barca’s Hector Bellerin, and cleverly chipped the ball past an onrushing Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Twenty minutes later, a similar counter-attacking goal with another assist from Gnabry and a good finish by Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting.
Barça was almost given a lifeline just before half-time when Lewandowski went down under a challenge from Matthijs De Ligt, and referee Anthony Taylor gave a penalty before going to the VAR monitor and changing his mind despite not seeing any clear and unmistakable evidence to reverse his call.
Gnabry continued his torrid night by netting a third for Bayern, but his well-taken shot for the left side of the penalty area was ruled out for a marginal offside call in the buildup.
With the match all but over, substitute Benjamin Pavard scored at the back post after Gnabry’s cross-shot fell kindly to him for Bayern’s final goal of the evening.
They have won only one of their five games in the group so far and will go into the second-tier Europa League after ending up third in the group for the second year in a row.
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