Bayern vs Barcelona match facts

Bayern München host a Barcelona side that are flying high in UEFA Women's Champions League Group D, last season's runners-up having claimed maximum points from their opening three fixtures while scoring 15 goals, three of them without reply in their Matchday 3 meeting with Bayern in Catalonia on 24 November.

Barça made it three wins from three thanks to a second-half blitz against Bayern at the Camp Nou, Geyse's close-range header just after the interval followed by sumptuous finishes from Aitana Bonmatí – her fourth goal in the section – and, from long range, Clàudia Pina.

Bayern, who finished four points behind Wolfsburg in second place in the 2021/22 Frauen-Bundesliga, were runners-up behind Lyon in Group D last term before being eliminated after extra time in the quarter-finals by Paris Saint-Germain (1-2 h, 2-2 a).

Alexander Straus, who took over as Bayern head coach in June, guided his new club into this season's group stage thanks to a 4-1 aggregate success against Real Sociedad in round 2 (1-0 a, 3-1 h). They opened Group D with a 2-1 comeback victory at home to Rosengård, then overturned a two-goal deficit against Benfica, prevailing 3-2 in Lisbon with the winner coming deep into added time.

Barcelona, who were unable to defend their European crown last season, losing 3-1 to Lyon in the Turin final, have reached the showpiece of this competition in three of the last four seasons. The Blaugrana also went down to the French outfit in 2019 before defeating Chelsea 4-0 to capture their first title two years later.

Barça extended their record haul of Primera División titles last term with their third in succession and seventh overall, winning all 30 of their league games and scoring 159 goals.

Barcelona posted their biggest European victory on Matchday 1, a 9-0 success at home to Benfica in which seven players got on the scoresheet. They consolidated eight days later by beating Rosengård 4-1 in Sweden.

Barcelona will go through on Matchday 4 if they win, or if they draw and Benfica do not beat Rosengård. Barcelona will be confirmed in first place if they win and Benfica do not. Bayern cannot go through or be eliminated on Matchday 4.

Barcelona and Bayern have been paired together once before in the UEFA Women's Champions League, the Spanish side winning both legs of their 2018/19 semi-final 1-0 with Mariona Caldentey scoring the second-leg winner in Barcelona from the penalty spot to send her club to the first of their three finals.

The clubs also met on 16 August this year in the semi-finals of a pre-season tournament in Toulouse, Bayern winning 2-1 with substitute Emelyne Laurent scoring on 84 minutes after Caroline Graham Hansen had cancelled out Giuila Gwinn's opener late in the first half. Lucy Bronze and Geyse both represented Barcelona for the first time, while goalkeeper Maria Grohs played for Bayern.

Barcelona's record in UEFA competition against German teams is now W6 L4, all four defeats inflicted by Wolfsburg, while Bayern's only other matches against Spanish opposition were this season's two wins against Real Sociedad.

Players to watch

Sarah Zadrazil

The 29-year-old Austrian midfielder has been a Bayern stalwart since joining the club in June 2020, winning the Frauen-Bundesliga in her debut season when she appeared in all 22 games.

She had also been an ever-present Frauen-Bundesliga starter for previous club Turbine Potsdam in the 2018/19 and 2019/20 campaigns.

Zadrazil has also been on the field for every minute in each of Bayern's opening three UEFA Women's Champions League group games this season.

Her only European goal in 20 appearances came for Bayern in their 4-1 semi-final second leg defeat by Chelsea two seasons ago, putting her team 3-2 up on aggregate at the time.

First capped by Austria aged 17, Zadrazil established her international pedigree in the US college system and helped her country reach the semi-finals at UEFA Women's EURO 2017 on their finals debut.

Aitana Bonmatí

Bonmatí is the joint leading scorer in this season's UEFA Women's Champions League with four goals – one against Benfica, two against Rosengård and one in the first meeting with Bayern.

Those goals have lifted the 24-year-old midfielder's all-time tally in the competition for Barcelona to 15, and she has already matched her personal best total for a season set in 2021/22.

Barcelona have won all 12 of the UEFA Women's Champions League matches in which Bonmatí has found the net, including the 4-0 victory over Chelsea in the 2020/21 final, when she was named Player of the Match.

A native of Catalonia, she has spent her entire career with Barcelona, graduating from youth level, and has won the league title in each of the last three seasons as well as tasting European glory in 2020/21.

A regular international for Spain, she represented her country at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup and UEFA Women’s EURO 2022, where she was the only Spanish player included in the official Team of the Tournament.

Key facts

Bayern had won five successive group stage games before their Matchday 3 reverse against Barcelona.

That Matchday 3 encounter was only the second time the Munich club have failed to score in their last 24 UEFA Women's Champions League matches.

Bayern have now lost just four of their last 21 European games (W15 D2).

Bayern have won all four of their home games in the UEFA Women's Champions League group stage, keeping clean sheets in the first three.

Barcelona have won all nine of their UEFA Women's Champions League group stage matches, scoring 40 goals and conceding just two.

The Spanish champions scored three or more goals in eight of those nine fixtures.

Barça have won 14 of their last 16 UEFA Women's Champions League games, losing the other two.

Barcelona have failed to score in only two of their last 38 European games.