Barcelona vs Bayern Munich – News and Probable Lineups

The Women’s Champions League final spot is at stake as Barcelona Women host Bayern Munich Women at the legendary Camp Nou for the second leg of the semi-final on Sunday.

After a 1-1 draw in the first leg held at Allianz Arena last Saturday, the matchup remains delicately balanced.

Match overview

Barcelona is eager to regain their European title after narrowly losing to Arsenal in the previous UWCL final, which prevented them from clinching a third consecutive UWCL trophy.

After finishing the inaugural league phase at the top, the Blaugrana progressed to the semi-finals following a commanding 12-2 win over Real Madrid in the quarter-finals.

In the first leg in Munich, Ewa Pajor’s early goal was canceled out by Franziska Kett’s second-half strike, making for a challenging affair for Pere Romeu’s team.

With the advantage of playing at home in the second leg, the three-time European champions are expected to be the clear favorites to advance to their sixth consecutive UWCL final.

Barcelona has recorded victories in all four of their European fixtures this season, including a dominant 7-1 win against Bayern in an earlier league phase encounter last October.

Furthermore, the Catalan club has triumphed in their last three European home matches against the German side.

Conversely, Bayern dreams of claiming the ultimate prize in European football for the first time ever.

They have already matched their best result in Europe, which was during the 2020-21 season when they were eliminated by Chelsea in the semi-finals by an aggregate score of 5-3.

While Bayern maintained their unbeaten run in the first leg of their latest semi-final experience, they will likely be disappointed with the fact that they finished the match with 10 players after Kett was shown a red card in the 80th minute for a foul on Salma Paralluelo.

Unlike Barcelona, Bayern returned to domestic competition midweek, where they have already secured the Frauen-Bundesliga title, so it was no surprise that Jose Barcala opted for a significantly altered lineup in their 2-0 victory over Werder Bremen.

This latest win was Bayern’s ninth straight away victory across all competitions, although they are aware of the much sterner challenge that awaits them at Camp Nou on Sunday.

The Bavarians can draw confidence from their remarkable unbeaten streak, having gone 28 competitive matches without a loss since their defeat to Barcelona in October.

Team News

Barcelona is still missing long-term injured player Laia Aleixandri, who is recovering from a significant knee injury.

On a brighter note, three-time Ballon d’Or recipient Aitana Bonmati is expected to return following a six-month injury layoff, though she may only be fit enough for a spot on the bench.

Assuming no new injury issues arise, Romeu is poised to field the same squad that began the first leg in Munich.

For Bayern, they will be without Lena Oberdorf, Sarah Zadrazil, Alara, and Jovana Damnjanovic.

Carolin Simon, who is set to depart Bayern at the end of the season, could slot in at left-back due to Kett’s suspension.

Klara Buhl, who just made her first start after returning from injury last weekend, may be pivotal if Bayern is to succeed, having accrued eight assists in seven UWCL matches this term—more than any other player in the tournament.

Barcelona Women probable starting XI:

Coll; Batlle, Paredes, Leon, Brugts; Lopez, Guijarro, Putellas; Graham, Pina, Pajor

Bayern Munich Women probable starting XI:

Mahmutovic; Gwinn, Viggosdottir, Gilles, Kett; Stanway, Amani; Dallmann, Tanikawa, Buhl; Harder