Barcelona are set for their toughest test under the tutelage of Xavi as they take on Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena tonight.
The Catalans have had a miserable record against the Bavarians over the years, with the 8-2 thumping a few years ago still fresh in the memory. The club are also in a run of four successive defeats against the Germans in European champions.
But another key piece of statistic that highlights the sheer dominance Bayern have had in this fixture is the fact that Barcelona have never won against the Bundesliga giants in the six matches at the Allianz Arena.
Barça have lost four of those matches while two have ended in draws. Their last draw against Bayern in Germany came way back in 2009 when Seydou Keita’s second-half goal cancelled out Franck Ribery’s strike.
Since then, Barcelona have lost three consecutive matches away from home against the same opposition, which only adds to the pressure as the Catalans lock horns with Julian Nagelsmann’s men this evening.
However, beating Barcelona could be a daunting task for Bayern this time around, especially given the form they are in currently.
The addition of Robert Lewandowski, along with many other stars in the summer transfer window has worked wonders for the club, who are only behind Real Madrid in the league table and had started their Champions League campaign with a 5-1 victory over Viktoria Plzen last week.
The Blaugrana are hoping they can continue their excellent run of form against Bayern, who have dropped points in three consecutive matches in the Bundesliga and face uncertainty over the fitness of some of their star players.
Whether or not momentum plays a key role in dictating the result of this encounter at Allianz Arena this evening remains to be seen.
