Bayern vs Barcelona: Who has won the Champions League more times?
Like all Bayern managers, Julian Nagelsmann will ultimately be judged by his performance in the Champions League as Xavi’s Barcelona visit Munich.
Bayern Munich and Barcelona meet again in the Champions League on Tuesday at the Allianz Arena with both sides in search of their former identities. Xavi’s rebuild at Camp Nou is well underway: the former Barça midfielder’s achievements in less than a year at the helm should not be underestimated. He inherited a mess and is now watching his new-look side pulverize opponents, the season starting very promisingly at Camp Nou. Xavi has of course had plenty of help from the economic wheeler-dealing of Joan Laporta, but the improvement was tangible even before a summer spending spree. Julian Nagelsmann on the other hand is faced with a slightly different task in Munich, that of trying to prevent the collapse of one of the most glorious houses in European football. The 35-year-old was snapped up by Bayern in April 2021, when the Bundesliga side were still technically European champions, although he didn’t take over officially until July, by which time Chelsea had assumed that title, Thomas Tuchel suddenly the German manager en vogue.
Nagelsmann under scrutiny in Champions League
Since then, Nagelsmann has added the 2021-22 Bundesliga title to the club’s trophy room, but it is in Europe that Bayern managers are ultimately judged and that is where the young coach’s fate may be decided this term. Bayern have drawn their last three league games to drop to third in the table but few genuinely expect either Union Berlin or Freiburg to remain above the Bavarian powerhouse next May. Bayern’s traditional challengers, Borussia Dortmund, are in fifth, level on points, as both sides adapt to a new reality after the departures of Robert Lewandowski and Erling Haaland, respectively. Bayern started their Champions League campaign with a solid 2-0 victory away at Inter Milan and that was enough, for now, to paper over the cracks being shown in the Bundesliga. Defeat against Barcelona may not be seen as so forgivable though, given the Liga side have never been victorious in Munich.
Bayern still retain much of the side that delivered Champions League glory in 2020 under Hansi Flick but they have lost key components including Lewandowski, David Alaba and Javi Martínez. Xavi’s side contains just four of the side that lifted the trophy in 2015, the last successful European campaign at Camp Nou (with their current boss on the bench): Marc-André ter Stegen, Gerard Piqué, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, and only two of those remain undisputed starters.
“What happened in our last four meetings against them does not count, this is a completely different team. The way they press after losing the ball is reminiscent of Xavi’s playing days. They have young players to watch out for like Pedri and Gavi. Xavi has been doing a great job, they will be a tough opponent,” Nagelsmann said in his pre-match press conference.
Bayern and Barcelona in the Champions League
The European Cup / Champions League is in its 68th season and a total of 22 different clubs have won the competition. Real Madrid hold the record with 14 wins and AC Milan are the second-most successful side in history with seven. Completing the podium are Bayern, who have won six titles (1974-76, 2001, 2013, 2020), placing the German club in an elite group of clubs who have been afforded the honour of keeping the trophy permanently for having been champions five times or more.
Barcelona are also a member of that elite, with five trophies to their name, one delivered by Johan Cruyff’s Dream Team (1992), and the other four delivered largely by Leo Messi (2006, 2009, 2011, 2015).