Bayern Runs All Over Chelsea, Napoli Holds Barcelona in Champions League
Serge Gnabry scored twice, as Bayern Munich all but secured its place in the quarterfinals of the Champions League with a 3-0 win at Chelsea in the opening leg of the round of 16 on Tuesday. In the day's other game, Barcelona was unimpressive but scrambled its way to a 1-1 draw at Napoli.
Bayern was much the better side at Stamford Bridge, but it didn’t take the lead until the 51st minute following a one-two between Gnabry and Robert Lewandowski. Another combination between the pair brought a second three minutes later, before the Polish striker got the third. Marcos Alonso was set off late on to add to Chelsea's misery.
In Naples, Antoine Griezmann got the equalizer for Barcelona after Dries Mertens’s opener, but the draw came at great cost with Gerard Pique turning his ankle, placing him in doubt for Sunday’s Clasico.
Here are three thoughts on the day in the Champions League:
Bayern looks like a real contender
Since Pep Guardiola left Bayern Munich, there has been a sense in the Champions League of it being a bit soft. The second leg of the defeat to Liverpool last season, when it was essentially bullied by the greater aggression of Jurgen Klopp’s side, was a case in point. But under Hansi Flick, Bayern looks increasingly impressive, capable of both neat passing and explosive running, all knotted together by the intelligence of Robert Lewandowksi’s forward play and Thiago Alcantara's playmaking midfield work.
Gnabry obviously stood out with his goals, but there were key contributions, too, from a rejuvenated Thomas Muller and from rapid 19-year-old left back Alphonso Davies, who not only posed a constant threat down the left but also showed his defensive mettle twice catching Mason Mount after he seemed to have broken the offside trap.
The ease with which that high line was penetrated may be a slight concern, but Bayern look more like a plausible contender for the Champions League than it has since Guardiola’s departure in 2016.
Bayern hammers a clearly limited Chelsea
It was a slip from Cesar Azpilicueta that led to the deadlock being broken at Stamford Bridge, but the idea that Chelsea's defeat was in any sense unfortunate should be resisted. Bayern was the better side from the start, dominated possession and effectively had the tie won before the hour mark.
Bayern has had a habit at times this season of dominating for spells of games, failing to score and then being pegged back, and there must have been a fear of something similar would happen as Muller headed against the bar and a series of other chances went begging. And although Bayern dominated, Chelsea did pose a threat in the first half. In part that was through long balls over the Bayern press to Olivier Giroud, and in part through the probing passing of Mateo Kovacic, who maintained his excellent form. But Chelsea all season has struggled against tactically sharp opponents.
But the breakthrough came six minutes into the second half, with Gnabry capitalizing on Azpilicueta’s slip to play in Lewandowski, who unselfishly squared for Gnabry to smash by a busy Willy Caballero.
Three minutes later, the same players and the same avenue provided the second, with a simple long clearance from Manuel Neuer finding Chelsea’s back four mysteriously unprotected. A one-two between Gnabry and Lewandowski carved Chelsea open, and the former Arsenal forward finished coolly for a second time in London.
From then on it was just a matter of how many Bayern would score. Davies’s pace brought a third goal down the Bayern left for Lewandowski.
To make a humbling night worse, Chelsea will go into the second leg without Marcos Alonso, who was sent off for swinging an arm at Lewandowski. Jorginho will also be suspended.
Opportunity missed for Napoli vs. poor Barcelona
Barcelona’s transition goes on and on and costs more and more. No matter how many expensive players it brings in, though, it rarely seems to have any idea beyond giving the ball to Lionel Messi, while the laxity that has undermined it through midfield for at least the last three years shows no sign of being resolved. There is an unforgivable lethargy about Barcelona, as though domination at home has left it unable to deal with midfields that actually fight back. For Napoli, though, this will feel like an opportunity missed.
The goal had a touch of fortune in its origin, the ball ricocheting off Junior Firpo’s legs to Piotr Zielinski, which suddenly left Napoli with a three-on-two. Presented with the opportunity, though, Napoli took it brilliantly, with Zielinski finding Mertens who whipped a shot into the corner to become Napoli’s joint-highest goalscorer of all time.
Without particularly improving, Barcelona leveled with its first shot on target, 12 minutes into the second half. Sergio Busquets laid in Nelson Semedo, whose low cross was converted by Antoine Griezmann–a classic case of the individual quality of the superclubs helping paper over wider structural issues.
Barcelona didn't make things easy on itself to close out the game, though. Arturo Vidal was sent off for collecting two yellow cards in the same incident–a foul on Mario Rui followed by a thrust of the head. He will be suspended for the second leg, as will Busquets for an earlier yellow card, while Pique could potentially miss out after rolling his ankle in injury time.
