Nagelsmann Wary Of Messi-Less Barcelona Ahead Of Champions League Opener
Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann says he is still wary of a Barcelona stripped of the services of the mercurial Lionel Messi ahead of the two sides meeting in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday.
For so long a time Messi was the go-to man for Barcelona in their times of need but the Argentina international ended a 21-year association with the Blaugrana by joining Paris Saint Germain on a two-year contract this summer.
Barcelona have licked their wounds and begun the season in fairly good fashion, picking two wins and a draw in their opening three La Liga games.
Ronald Koeman’s men also have injury concerns ahead of Tuesday’s clash, with the likes of Ansu Fati, Ousmane Dembele, Sergio Aguero and Martin Braithwaite all out of the encounter but Nagelsmann is adamant Barcelona have enough quality to pose a threat.
"Barcelona definitely don't have the extravagance of a Messi any more. But they also have other players who can play a very important role if you take Frenkie de Jong and Pedri for example," Nagelsmann said at the pre-game news conference.
"We are ready for anything. I don't believe they are much weaker. The future will show if they are any better. But we definitely want to take three points."
Bayern Munich defeated Barcelona 8-2 the last time the two sides met in the Champions League quarterfinals in the 2019/2020 season.
