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The Brazilian football star Raphinha could hardly have dreamed of a better anniversary match for FC Barcelona. In his 100th game for the Spanish big club, he was the ultimate experience when he scored a hat-trick in the 4-1 win at home over Bayern Munich on Wednesday evening in the third round of the Champions League.
The lightning-quick, dribbling and finishing Brazilian played tricks on the German defense and showed top form before Barcelona face an important El Clasico against Real Madrid and a home clash against Espanyol.
For Barcelona coach Hansi Flick, it was a happy reunion with his former employer. The joy was hardly reciprocated. The game clock hadn’t even completed a minute before Raphinha took Bayern Munich by surprise for the first time. Raphinha was given free run from the middle of the pitch and he ran down towards Manuel Neuer, rounded the keeper and put the ball into the goal to make it 1-0.
Harry Kane thought he had equalized in the 10th minute, but the Englishman was a nose too far forward and was ruled offside with the assistance of VAR. Kane got his revenge in the 18th minute when he pounced on a high cross and acrobatically equalized to make it 1-1.
Defeat sends Bayern down to the dull end
Both teams played with enormous risk in pursuit of the next goal, and it might as well have been the Germans who had taken the lead in the meeting between the two giants, but instead it was one of their former teammates who found the back of the net. flutter. In the 36th minute, Robert Lewandowski scored against his former club despite huge German protests. The Bayern players believed that defender Min-Jae Kim was pushed illegally in the back by assist maker Fermin Lopez, but the goal stood.
Right before the break, Raphinha stole the limelight again. The Brazilian received the ball on the left side of the field, took a couple of moves and turned the ball into the goal with his otherwise slightly colder right leg.
From the start of the second half, Bayern Munich were under heavy pressure, and therefore it was illogical for the home team to extend their lead in the 56th minute. Raphinha received a difficult pass at chest height in the middle of the pitch, but elegantly managed to take the ball with him at high speed. The unstoppable Brazilian ran all the way to the edge of the field before slamming the ball into the long corner and could once again let himself be praised.
All team-mates – including those on the bench – rushed down to the match-winner to join in the hat-trick celebrations. 20 minutes later he got an early four-nighter and received one last well-deserved tribute from the crowd. As a result of the great one-man show, Barcelona now occupy 10th place in the tournament with six points from three games. Bayern Munich have only picked up three points and are at the dull end of the table.
Three British teams in the lead
Although Sparta Prague did well at times, there was, as expected, a difference in class when Manchester City ran Lars Frii’s troops over 5-0 in the Champions League on Wednesday evening. Already in the third minute of the match, City were on course for victory when Phil Foden opened the scoring against the Czechs, who had found room for Danish Asger Sørensen in central defense and Peter Vindahl in goal.
With Foden’s early goal, Sparta Prague could well fear that it would be a long evening. However, Lars Friis’s troops were in good shape for periods of the first half, before City’s stars changed gears in the second half. Three goals in ten minutes midway through the second half cemented a sure City victory before Matheus Nunes closed on and off in the final minutes.
Pep Guardiola’s top scorer is seven points after three Champions League games. That is enough for third place in the 36-team table. Sparta Prague has four points and is just below the middle. The Champions League is led by Aston Villa and Liverpool, who won 1-0 away to RB Leipzig, who replaced Yussuf Poulsen in the second half. Both teams have maximum points after three games.
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Source: politiken.dk
