"Barcelona are a different team without him" - Bayern Munich star makes Lionel Messi admission ahead of UCL showdown

Bayern Munich star Thomas Muller has said it's a shame that Lionel Messi doesn't play for Barcelona anymore ahead of the crunch UEFA Champions League group stage encounter at the Camp Nou.

Speaking to Mundo Deportivo (quotes via Football Espana), Muller lavished praise on Barcelona and made some interesting comments on Messi, who now plies his trade with Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1.

Muller is not sure what to expect from Barca 🤔https://t.co/Bu2JQK13u9

— Football España (@footballespana_) September 12, 2021

“In general, it’s a shame that he is not there. When you play against a team that has Leo Messi, it’s something that gives additional motivation to everyone because we know what he has achieved.”

“I have to admit that, actually, I cannot assess Barcelona. Without doubt, without Messi, they will be a different team."

“It’s possible that without Messi they will have a player with more defensive contributions. I don’t know what awaits us. In any case, it’s a marvellous stadium and a great club.”

Barcelona to start afresh without Lionel Messi this season

Lionel Messi of Barcelona Press Conference

The 2021 summer transfer window turned out to be an eventful one. Barcelona and Lionel Messi reluctantly parted ways, as the Catalan giants were blocked from registering the Argentine great due to La Liga's newly introduced salary cap regulations.

Paris Saint-Germain declared their interest and quickly snapped up the legendary attacker on a free transfer in what went down as one of the most high-profile transfers in football history. Barcelona lost arguably their greatest ever player, but there was nothing the Spanish giants could do due to the torrid state of their finances.

Official: Michael Oliver will be in charge of the game between Barcelona and Bayern Munich on Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/0Uc2UIm9u0

— barcacentre (@barcacentre) September 12, 2021

Bayern Munich and Barcelona have been drawn in Group E of the UEFA Champions League, with Dynamo Kyiv and Benfica completing the rest of the group. The last time the two European heavyweights met was in 2020 in what was one of the most unbelievable football matches of the modern era.

Bayern Munich recorded a stunning 8-2 victory against Messi and Barcelona in a single-led quarterfinal tie in Lisbon as Philippe Coutinho scored a brace against his parent club to add insult to injury. The Catalan giants will hope for a better result this time around, but they will have to be without the talismanic Messi, as they prepare to head into a European campaign without him for the first time in 17 years.

---