Julian Nagelsmann: "We're all sitting in one boat"
Nagelsmann coaches his first Champions League game with Bayern Munich as they take on Barcelona in the opening match and Munich looks to be a top 3 club.
The Champions League kicks off tonight and Bayern Munich will take on Barcelona at Camp Nou. Barcelona suffered a painful 8-2 loss to Bayern the last time the two teams met in the Champions League quarter-finals. Bayern went on to win that competition.
The two teams are looking quite different this year, so anything could happen. Bayern has new head coach Julian Nagelsmann and Barcelona saw Ronald Koeman take over for Quique Seiten.
Barcelona's team changes and injury woes
Bayern have won their opening match in the Champions League for the past 17 seasons. They haven't lost an away game in the last 18, which is a competition record. Meanwhile, Barcelona will be starting for the first time in over 15 years without their star Lionel Messi.
“They've no longer got someone as extravagant as Messi, but they have other players who can make a difference. We are prepared for everything,” Nagelsmann said.
Barcelona has a new attacking line-up with Memphis Depay and Yusuf Demir. Against Beyern, they are dealing with several injuries. Ousmane Dembele and Ansu Fati are amongst those out with injuries. Bayern is the clear favorite to win. Nagelsmann mentioned how motivated he and his team are and that he expects that to make a big difference in how well they play.
"It's not only me," Nagelmann said. "It's Bayern that want to be among the top three clubs in Europe. That involves everyone."