If Barcelona were looking for an easy Champions League group stage, they certainly got a rude awakening when the draw was set and done.
The Catalans were drawn in Group C of the tournament where they will face Inter Milan, Viktoria Plzen and, once again, Bayern Munich.
Barcelona and Bayern Munich have faced off on a number of occasions in recent history with the German giants enjoying the most success. Everyone still remembers the 8-2 drubbing Bayern put on them in Lisbon as well as the group stage last season where the Bavarians won both games rather easily.
Oliver Khan couldn’t help but let out a laugh when he saw Barcelona end up in their group.
Oliver Kahn couldn't hold back the laughs 😆 pic.twitter.com/HBDGro8dr1
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) August 25, 2022
Barcelona had one of their worst runs in the competition, failing to progress out of the group stage for the first time in a long while.
The positive for the Blaugrana is they are a much different team than the one from last season.
The match-up sees Robert Lewandowski go back to face his former team. Instead of tormenting Barcelona, he’ll now be on the other side trying to help them beat Bayern.
Bayern may have got the most attention but Inter Milan is no slouch either.
Romelu Lukaku re-joined Inter, on loan, after a disappointing second spell with Chelsea. The Belgian striker has always looked more comfortable in Italy with the Serie A side having the lethal tandem of Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez leading their attack.
Things are not going to be easy should Barcelona want to advance to the knockout round. Given how much they’ve spent to revitalize the side, not getting past the group stage for a second consecutive year would be the nightmare scenario.
But there is hope for optimism.
While they might not top the group, they are more than capable of finishing second.
With the additions of Raphinha and Lewandowski, as well as a fit Ansu Fati, they should be able to score. Last season, they managed only two goals in six games.
The key will be to win both games against Viktoria Plzen, who are going to be the “punching bag” of the group, with all due respect.
Inter, for all their cache, seem to always disappoint in the Champions League. If Barcelona can get a win at home and muster a draw in Italy, that should get them through.
Barcelona may have wanted a more accessible group but they now get to test their mettle against two of the best sides in Europe. With some time until then, it should give Xavi Hernandez time to work out the kinks. We’ll then see if Barcelona are truly on their way back or still well behind the likes of Bayern Munich.