Raphinha scores hat-trick in 100th appearance for Barca
Brazilian winger Raphinha celebrated his 100th appearance for FC Barcelona with a hat-trick goal against Bayern Munich in the Champions League encounter on Wednesday night.
Without the services of these three players, Die Bayern’s already-onerous task just got tougher.
Bayern Munich’s injury woes seem to show no signs of abating as the club revealed that Jerome Boateng and Arjen Robben suffered groin injuries during their UEFA Champions League loss to Real Madrid.
“(Jerome) Boateng sustained damage to the adductor muscles in his left thigh. (Arjen) Robben also has an injury in his left groin triggered by a muscle disorder, while (Javi) Martínez suffered bruising on the head,” a club statement read.
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“The Spaniard has been ordered to sit out squad training for the next two days,” the club added.
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Robben and Boateng were forced off in the first-half of the semi-final at the Allianz Arena itself, while midfield enforcer Martinez came off in the second-half as Bayern slumped to a 1-2 home less in the first leg.
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With the second leg taking place at the Santiago Bernabeu on May 1, it is highly unlikely that Robben and Boateng will be able to get fit in time for the tie against the Spanish giants.
Typically, a groin injury takes two-three weeks to recover from and the fact that the duo collapsed in a heap suggests that their complaints may even be more severe.
Martinez, on the other hand, remains in contention to make the trip to the Spanish capital, but with the odds against them, the news will be of scarce comfort.
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Despite struggling with injuries, Die Bayern dominated the tie yet managed to lose against the two-time defending champions and now their hopes of a treble are very much in tatters.
The Bundesliga title has already been secured and while they are in the final of the DFB-Pokal, their UEFA Champions League title drought looks likely to be extended for one season at least.
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