Barcelona vs Bayern Munich prediction, odds and best bets for week 3 of the Champions League

Barcelona got off to a blistering start to the season. Despite a disappointing off-season and transfer window, Barcelona won 10 of their first 12 games in all competitions, scoring a whopping 39 goals in the process. They have scored 13 goals in their last three games and have won each by a margin of at least three games.

Manager Hansi Flick is doing this with one of the youngest teams in Europe. Key starters like Pau Cubarsi and Lamine Yamal are not yet 19 years old and their backbone in midfield, Marc Casado and Pedri, are both 21 years old.

Bayern Munich, on the other hand, is one of the most experienced teams on the continent. Their manager is the young and inexperienced Vincent Kompany, but with Harry Kane, Thomas Müller, Manuel Neuer and Joshua Kimmich playing big roles in the team, the German side has a massive veteran advantage.

Barcelona has a huge advantage in another area. Flick knows his opponent very well, having coached Bayern between 2019 and 2021 and the German national team between 2021 and 2023. He probably knows the Bayern players better than Kompany.

With Flick having revenge on his mind, this will certainly be a barnburner in Barcelona. Both teams lost their games in Gameweek 2, making this win almost a must-win. Let's take a closer look at the matchup.

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Money line:

Barcelona: +135
Draw: +295
Bayern Munich: +170

Overall goals:

Above 3.5: -110
Below 3.5: -115

Both teams score a goal:

Yes: -300
No.: +230

Spread:

Barcelona -0.5: +125
Bayern Munich +0.5: -175

This game was as one-sided as any other Champions League game in recent years. Bayern have beaten Barcelona in each of their last five games, scoring 19 goals and allowing just two in the same span. Flick was the coach of Bayern when they completely defeated Barcelona 8-2 in the quarter-finals of the 2020 Champions League.

Barcelona are desperate to turn things around. Given their winning streak, they should have a good chance in this game, but Bayern simply have too much of a talent advantage. Plus, they just lost their last Champions League game against Aston Villa and it's very hard to imagine two defeats in a row. In fact, they haven't lost two Champions League games in a row since the 2016/17 season.

Bayern's biggest weakness is their shaky defense. The partnership between Kim Min-Jae and Dayot Upamecano is prone to errors. Barcelona will create chances and probably score.

However, at the other end of the field it will be very difficult to slow down Bayern's attack. Harry Kane has already scored 13 goals in nine games and Michael Olise looks set to be one of the summer signings. They finish early, play well and score with ease.

Again, scoring more than 2.5 or 3.5 goals would be a good bet, but let's take a risk and go for a win with Bayern Munich.

Selection: Bayern Munich +170

Odds are updated regularly and are subject to change.

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