Barcelona face bogey side Bayern Munich

Although Barcelona are in their best form for a long time, Bayern Munich are a team that cause a stir when it comes to the Champions League. They have faced each other more than a few times recently. The German team has been far superior in all of them. They have added to a record that was already in their favour and that the 'Cules' want to start reversing on Wednesday. Barca and Bayern have met 15 times so far: 11 wins for the Germans, two for the Spaniards and two draws.
The first time they met was in a UEFA Cup semi-final tie in 1996. With Guardiola or Figo on one side and Matthaus or Kahn on the other. Draw in Germany (2-2) and German triumph at the Camp Nou (1-2). From then on, all their head-to-heads were in the Champions League. The first of the only two victories against the Germans was in 2009, in the first leg of the quarter-finals, which ended up being won by the Catalan side.
With Pep Guardiola at the helm, it was a magical night at the Camp Nou. A first-half display that knocked Bayern out of the game in the second half. Two goals from Leo Messi, who was a nightmare for the Bavarian defence, and others from Samuel Eto'o and Thierry Henry to the delight of the ‘Cules’ fans, who saw how the team almost left the series practically sentenced with the second leg in Munich still to come. There, Barca were not quite as comfortable, but they did put paid to the home side's comeback attempt. Franck Ribery made it 1-0, but Keita's 1-1 in the 73rd minute consolidated Barca's place in the next round.
Much more bitter was the next tie in which the two sides met. In 2012-13, the year in which the German team were champions, Bayern ran out 4-0 winners in the first leg (with Thomas Muller scoring twice) and also in the second leg in a 3-0 win with Jupp Heynckes at the helm . Two years later, the Catalan giants were to have their revenge.

There was a lot of excitement in the 2015 semifinal series because Luis Enrique was at the helm of Barca and Pep Guardiola was in charge of Bayern. The first round was played at the Camp Nou in a duel of unpleasant memory for a Jerome Boateng who dreamed several nights in a row with Leo Messi. But it was hard for the 'Cules' to open the scoring. A Barça with the 'MSN' leading the way and with Ivan Rakitic already established in the center of the pitch.
Despite the result, it was difficult for the 'Cule' team to open the scoring, which relied on Leo Messi to do so. The Argentine scored two goals in four minutes and Neymar sealed a 3-0 win that put Guardiola on the ropes for the second leg. A Bayern somewhat depleted and with a lot of midfielders -Schweinsteiger, Thiago, Lahm, Xabi Alonso or Muller- that lacked verticality with wingers. In the second leg, the German team won the match 3-2, which proved to be insufficient.
Since then, Bayern have mutated into that bogey side. Barca's record has gone from a 2-2-5 loss, but somewhat balanced, to the current 2-2-11 after six consecutive defeats against the Germans. Some of them very convincing.