Ronald Koeman looks to the future after humbling Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich | OneFootball

Barcelona faced Bayern Munich at Camp Nou tonight, a re-run of the 8-2 defeat they suffered in Lisbon in the quarter-final Champions League back in August of 2020. They’ve fallen on hard times as they embark on life post-Lionel Messi, and suffered a comprehensive 3-0 defeat at the hands of their German visitors. They quite simply couldn’t compete.

Ronald Koeman started Marc-Andre ter Stegen in goal, behind a back three of Eric Garcia, Gerard Pique and Ronald Araujo, flanked by wing-backs Sergi Roberto and Jordi Alba. Sergio Busquets sat in midfield with Pedri and Frenkie de Jong either side of him, while Memphis Depay and Luuk de Jong led the line.

Barcelona fans, not exactly on the same page as UEFA, loudly whistled the Champions League anthem pre-match, and their team struggled to assert themselves on the game. Thomas Mueller put Bayern ahead in the 33rd minute before – surprise, surprise – the unstoppable Robert Lewandowski doubled their lead four minutes short of the hour mark. The Polish marksman then grabbed his second and Bayern’s third in the 85th minute.

“The system? We had three forwards available,” Koeman said post-match. “Of course we would have liked to have competed better, but this is what we had. I can’t say anything about the team’s attitude; [Bayern] have been superior tonight. This is the squad we have alongside very good young players, who in two or three years will become very good,” he continued.