In a thrilling UEFA Champions League encounter on Wednesday, Barcelona secured a resounding 4-1 home victory against Bayern Munich, marking the end of a nearly decade-long winless streak against the German giants.
Barcelona's captain, Raphinha, stole the show with a stellar hat-trick, leading his team to triumph after six consecutive defeats to Bayern, where they were outscored by 22 goals to four. The Brazilian maestro opened the scoring just over a minute into the game, showcasing his speed and agility by outpacing Bayern's Manuel Neuer to tap into the empty net.
Despite Bayern's early dominance and pressure, Barcelona remained resilient, capitalizing on counter-attacks and the sheer pace of Raphinha and Lamine Yamal. Bayern's attempts to equalize were thwarted, with Harry Kane's initial goal ruled out by VAR for a marginal offside before his later volley found the back of the net.
The turning point came in the 36th minute when Robert Lewandowski capitalized on a defensive lapse, putting Barcelona ahead once again. Raphinha continued his assault with a brilliant curling strike and a decisive finish in the 56th minute, sending the home crowd into a frenzy with chants of \"Ole\".
One day after Vinicius Jr. led Real Madrid to a comeback victory, Raphinha's performance sets the stage for an exciting El Clasico against Real in LaLiga on Saturday. Reflecting on the victory, Raphinha expressed his pride in the team's effort and the significance of winning in front of their fans.
With this win, Barcelona climbs to ninth in the Champions League standings with six points from three games, while Bayern sits at 23rd with three points after their second consecutive defeat.
Reference(s):
Raphinha's treble guides Barcelona to 4-1 rout of Bayern Munich
cgtn.com
