Two German rivals that Hansi Flick knows well, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, will be Barcelona’s main adversaries in the first round of the Champions League, where they will also face Atalanta, Young Boys, and Brest at home, and travel to the fields of Benfica, Red Star, and Monaco.

The Munich side, due to their history and past negative precedents in head-to-head encounters, will be the most formidable opponent for the Blaugranas. Additionally, their current coach, Hansi Flick, was the coach of Bayern during that painful 8-2 defeat in 2020.

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The goal for Barcelona will be to reverse their poor record against the mighty Bavarian team, against whom they have suffered 11 defeats in 15 matches in Europe (with two wins and two draws completing the balance).

The Blaugranas haven’t beaten Bayern since the semifinals of the 2014-15 season. Incidentally, Flick has never faced Bayern as a rival, although he did face their reserve team when he was the coach of Hoffenheim.

Two new projects from two European giants will clash in this first phase. The second most significant opponent will also be a German team, Borussia Dortmund, and in this case, the Blaugranas will play at the imposing Signal Iduna Park, a stadium where Dortmund’s fans are among the most passionate in Europe, boasting the highest attendance rate on the continent.

Nuri Sahin's side are the current runners-up in the Champions League, after falling at Wembley to Real Madrid (2-0) in last season’s final.

In their history, Barcelona has never lost in Europe against Dortmund. In four encounters, the Catalans have secured two wins and two draws.

At home, Flick’s side will host three teams they have never faced in Europe: Atalanta from Bergamo, Italy, Young Boys from Switzerland, and Brest from France. The Italians are the most accomplished, being the latest Europa League winners. Young Boys and Brest were the big surprises in their respective leagues.

In addition to Dortmund, Barça will have to travel to Lisbon, where they will face an old acquaintance: Benfica. Against the Lisbon side, the Blaugranas have a good record: 3 wins, 4 draws, and only 2 losses.

Due to the atmosphere, the trip to Belgrade, where Red Star awaits, will be more challenging. Red Star is a historic club that has seen better days, and Barcelona has good memories against them, with six wins, one draw, and two losses in their history.

They will also travel to Monaco to face a team they recently played against in the Joan Gamper Trophy, with a victory for the Monegasques (0-3). In their history, Barcelona has won both matches played against the Principality’s side. The final calendar of dates will be announced next Saturday.