Summer newcomer Memphis Depay made no stumble against Bayern.
With the departure of Lionel Messi, Barca are sliding further and further into the crisis. The 0: 3 against Bayern is a historic low.
A year ago, FC Barcelona lost 8-2 to Bayern. This year the defeat on the first day of the Champions League is less sensitive. The German record champions prevailed 3-0 on Tuesday evening.
Still, the Catalans have never been as bad as they have been at this game in their Royal League history. You don't get a single shot on goal at Camp Nou – that has never happened before.
The fans and the Spanish press are accordingly alarmed. The fact that coach Ronald Koeman sends his team onto the pitch in a five-man chain with a defensive corset does not appeal to anyone where one is used to not only successful but also beautiful football. The really alarming thing is that Koeman's decision is met with understanding.
Because: By now everyone in Barcelona has probably agreed that the quality cannot be compared with that of other top clubs in Europe for the foreseeable future. Suddenly you become a big underdog in your own stadium against Bayern, playing like teams like Elche and Granada when they visit the Camp Nou: with a deep defensive line, designed for counterattacks.
Coach Koeman sees difficult years ahead of the club. He refers to the young team and injury concerns (Agüero, Dembele, Fati, Braithwaite). The substitution of the 18-year-old Viennese Yusuf Demir in the 58th minute underlines this – his Champions League debut.
Superstar Lionel Messi had to leave the club after 21 years (PSG) in the summer because there was no money. Antoine Griezmann was sold back to Atletico Madrid shortly before the transfer closed to save his high salary. As Bayern Honorary President Uli Hoeneß put it so aptly in the run-up to the Champions League: “In Germany, Barca would be a case for the bankruptcy judge.”
In Barcelona, the comparison with Arsenal has been around since the Bayern match. Fans want to see parallels to the crash of the English top club. He has been a shadow of himself since the end of Arsene Wenger's era, does not play in the European Cup and holds four points and one goal after four rounds. When you were regularly in the Champions League until a few years ago, it was all too often the end of the line against FC Bayern – sometimes with a horrific goal difference. This is where Barca have come to.
The only bright spot these days: The talents around Demir. The Austrian can use the crisis to mature into a regular player at the cult club. With players like him and, for example, midfield endurance runner Pedri, the crisis is declared to be a radical change. At least Koeman is sure that in two or three years he will be on par with Bayern again.
