FCBARCELONA.CAT

05.04.2009 12:41

Barça hold on, Bayern lose grip

Vanessa Forns

Since the draw for the Champions League paired the clubs for the quarter finals, Barça and Bayern Munich have followed very different paths. Barça are still top of La Liga, but Bayern have fallen to 4th in the Bundesliga.

Next Wednesday, FC Barcelona and Bayern Munich meet at the Camp Nou in the first leg of their Champions League quarter final. Both sides have been without their main stars for several days due to the international break, and are in very different situations in their respective championships.

Since the date of the draw, March 20, Guardiola’s side has won both their games and now have 72 points and are six points clear at the top of the table. But over in Germany, Bayern Munich have won one and lost one and have lost their lead, now lying in fourth place with 48 points, three short of new leaders Wolfsburg.

Win and a loss

The first game for Klinsmann’s side after the draw was against Karlsruhe, who Bayern beat 1-0 thanks to a Sosa goal. That win, coupled with defeat for the leaders, Hertha Berlin, away to Stuttgart (2-0), left Bayern a point off the top of the Bundesliga. But the return to action after the World Cup qualifiers was disheartening for the Bavarians, who were thumped 5-1 at Wolfsburg, a defeat that has sent Bayern freefalling down to fourth.

Firmly on top

FC Barcelona’s first game after the draw was at the Camp Nou against Malaga, and was won in style, 6-0 . On Saturday, Valladolid was the stage for the first game after the international break, and Barça collected an officious three points with a 0-1  win. Those two wins mean that the Catalans stay six points clear of their most immediate rival, Real Madrid.