Karim Benzema and Vinicius Jr have mocked Barcelona after they slumped to a 2-0 Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich at Allianz Arena. The Real Madrid duo took to their social media handle to poke fun at the La Liga rivals.
Bayern Munich suffered their first defeat in the 2022/23 Champions League, losing to Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich despite dominating the game with more possession and completed passes.
Two quick goals by Lucas Hernandez and Leroy Sane in the 50th and 54th minute were enough to seal the victory for the Bavarians, who were playing second fiddle to their visitors in terms of ball possession, completed passes, and attempts on target.
The Xavi-led team made a huge statement on Allianz Arenal after heavy investments in the 2022 summer transfer. They dominated play in a highly competitive and tense game, but Bayern Munich capitalized on the home advantage and built their superior record against the Catalans.
Meanwhile, Karim Benzema and Vinicius Jr have poked fun, taking a sly dig at the Blaugrana after the defeat.
While Vinjcius Jr shared a group picture of him laughing immediately after the final whistle, Benzema posted a picture of himself holding the Champions League trophy, which he won with the Merengues last year.
The gesture by the two Real Madrid stars is not surprising given the rivalry between the two La Liga giants.
Real Madrid has had the upper hand in bragging rights over their arch-rivals from Barcelona. Last season they bagged a double, including the most coveted Champions League trophy, with Vinicius junior scoring the winning goal.
Karim Benzema, on the other hand, towered high above every other champion League player last season. His back-to-back hat-tricks were the magic that helped Real Madrid bypass fierce rivals and favorites such as Paris Saint Germain, Chelsea, and Manchester City.
Meanwhile, Barcelona slumped to its all-time low last season. They were knocked out of the Champions League group stages and went down to the Europa League. In Europe’s second-tier club competition, they were knocked out by Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt, who went ahead to win the competition.
Barcelona finished in the second spot on the La Liga table last season. They were far behind Real Madrid who won the title. Barca ended the season without a trophy.
In the 2022 summer transfer window, Xavi Hernandez and Joan Laporta have paired up to reverse Barca’s misfortune. Much has been invested into the team, with high-value targets signed to bolster the squad. The likes of Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Jules Kounde, Christensen, and Franck Kessie joined the team this season.
The Barcelona revamp and readiness to challenge the La Liga title is evident. They have played five La Liga matches and have won four and drew one.
Despite losing to Bayern Munich, the Xavi-led team dominated the game at Allianz Arena.
Indeed, Barcelona will compete with Real Madrid for the La Liga title. Real Madrid have won all their 5 matches so far this season and are top of the table.
The dig by Benzema and Vinicius may be a way of mocking the Catalans’ attempt to compete for the Champions League and La Liga after the revamp. This battle for superiority between the two teams this season will be tested when both teams clash on La Liga matchday nine on October 16, 2022.
