Rampant Bayern condemn Barca to Europa League for second straight season

Bayern Munich made it five wins from five in the UEFA Champions League group stage after a 3-0 win over Spanish outfit FC Barcelona at the Spotify Camp Nou Stadium. The German giants helped condemn Barcelona to another season in the UEFA Europa League. 

Needing two miracles on Matchday Five to have hope of reaching the knockout rounds, Barca saw their hopes dealt a cruel blow in the early kick-off as Inter Milan blew Viktoria Plzen away 4-0. Their elimination from the Champions League was confirmed before the kick-off against Bayern Munich.

Not a team known for holding back, Bayern Munich quickly opened the scoring through former Liverpool man Sadio Mane. The Senegalese star latched onto an impressive through pass from Serge Gnabry before clipping a composed finish over the onrushing Barcelona keeper to give his side a 10th-minute lead.

The German champions doubled their advantage shortly after the half-hour mark as Gnabry expertly set up Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting and the Cameroonian striker sent a perfect finish into the back of the net to assert his side’s dominance.

Bayern controlled the match and duly capped off the performance with a late goal from French defender Benjamin Pavard, who finished from close range inside the box in time added on.

Bayern Munich secured a dominant win over their Spanish opposition while preventing them from managing a single shot on target. The Bavarians have qualified as the top-ranked side in their Champions League group for a fifth successive season and have won all five of their matches in the competition this season.

Like in the 2021-22 season, Barcelona will drop into the UEFA Europa League after their third-place finish was confirmed with their loss to their arch-rivals Bayern. Having also lost to the German side in the group stage en route to dropping to the Europa League last season, it was a feeling of deja vu among Barcelona fans and loyalists at the end of the match.