Sadio Mane will undergo an X-ray after sustaining a shin injury during Bayern Munich's 6-1 victory over Werder Bremen, head coach Julian Nagelsmann has confirmed.

The Senegal skipper limped off in the 20th minute at the Allianz Arena, where Serge Gnabry hit a hat-trick as the Bundesliga leaders moved four points clear at the summit. 

Mane now faces a race to be fit for his nation's World Cup opener against the Netherlands on November 21, with Bayern awaiting further tests to determine the severity of the issue.

"He got a blow to the shin," Nagelsmann told Sky. "Maybe, you have to go under the X-ray machine and see if there is something there.

"This is an unpleasant place. I hope there's not something, but I don't know exactly."

Bayern made it nine successive wins, while equalling a club-record by netting four or more times for a fourth successive home league match.

Nagelsmann praised his side after they took their Bundesliga goal tally to 47 already – more than any other team across Europe's top five leagues – though he felt the margin of victory could have been greater.

"Goals are what makes football so appealing," he added. "After 14 matchdays, we have 47 goals in the Bundesliga, that's extraordinary.

"Today, we could have done a lot more. We have good quality on the field and a good spirit. We are very quiet, stable. We played a nice game for the fans."

Julian Nagelsmann feels Bayern Munich's 100 per cent record in the Champions League group stage was "not rewarded" after being drawn against Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16.

Nagelsmann's men won all six group games to finish top of Group C, including home and away victories over Inter and Barcelona, becoming the first side in competition history to be victorious in all of their group matches in back-to-back seasons.

Despite this, Monday's draw pitted Bayern against French champions PSG, who boast the likes of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe in their squad.

Nagelsmann believes his team have not received the full benefit for their group-stage heroics, telling reporters: "PSG are a difficult opponent.

"The perfect group phase is not rewarded with [drawing that opponent] - they have a lot of world-class players just like we do. 

"But this is the Champions League, so it's normal that there are no easy opponents in the round of 16."

PSG themselves went undefeated in the group stage, winning four and drawing two of their matches.

But a remarkable 6-1 win for Benfica over Maccabi Haifa on the final matchday saw Christophe Galtier's team have top spot snatched off them by virtue of the Portuguese side scoring more away goals.

Bayern CEO Oliver Kahn echoed Nagelsmann's sentiments on the difficulty of the draw, but also spoke of his excitement over watching two of Europe's elite clubs face off in a repeat of the 2019-20 final, which the Bavarian side won 1-0 thanks to a Kingsley Coman winner.

"We can look forward to two great games with the best players in Europe," Kahn told Sky. "I think these will be two highly attractive games."

Alphonso Davies will be fit to represent Canada at the World Cup despite sustaining a hamstring strain in Bayern Munich's win at Hertha Berlin, the Bundesliga giants have confirmed.

Davies was forced off in the 64th minute of Bayern's 3-2 victory at the Olympiastadion on Saturday, sparking fears he could miss Canada's first World Cup appearance since 1986.

The left-back was seen clutching his right hamstring as he walked gingerly from the field, and head coach Julian Nagelsmann initially did little to ease fears over his condition.

Speaking after Bayern's win, Nagelsmann revealed Davies was suspected to have suffered "at least one fibre tear" and said a more accurate diagnosis would be available on Sunday.

However, Bayern have now revealed Davies should return for Canada's trip to Qatar, though he will miss his club's upcoming Bundesliga games against Werder Bremen and Schalke.

A statement on Bayern's website read: "FC Bayern will be without Alphonso Davies for the two remaining Bundesliga games prior to the winter break. 

"The 22-year-old full-back suffered a hamstring strain in the 3-2 win at Hertha BSC on Saturday. The diagnosis was confirmed by the German record champions' medical unit. 

"The Canada international's participation in the World Cup in Qatar is not at risk."

Canada will face Belgium in their Group F opener on November 23 before taking on Croatia and Morocco.

Alphonso Davies is suspected to have suffered a hamstring strain and now faces an anxious wait to learn whether he will be fit to feature for Canada at the World Cup.

Davies was forced off in the 64th minute of Bayern Munich's thrilling 3-2 win at Hertha Berlin on Saturday, a result which – at least temporarily – moved them ahead of Union Berlin at the Bundesliga summit.

The left-back, who plays in attack for Canada, was seen clutching his right hamstring as he walked gingerly from the field, causing concern for his country ahead of their World Cup opener against Belgium on November 23.

Speaking after Bayern's fourth league win in a row, concerned coach Julian Nagelsmann said: "In terms of that injury, we have to wait until tomorrow. The doctor says there is at least one fibre tear.

"Wait and see what comes out tomorrow."

After Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting's brace allowed Bayern to build on Jamal Musiala's opener, Hertha fought their way back into the match at the end of a remarkable first half, and Nagelsmann was under no illusions as to the importance of the win.

"It wasn't an easy game. We had a couple of good moments in the first half; it was a wild game," he said.

"We led 3-0, but we didn't have any clear actions. The lead was generally a bit too much. Then we got into a phase in which we didn't manage much.

"It got exciting again. In the end, we threw everything in; it was a game that you have to win."

Bayern Munich moved to the top of the Bundesliga table as Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting hit a brace in a thrilling 3-2 win at Hertha Berlin on Saturday.

Choupo-Moting scored twice in as many first-half minutes after Jamal Musiala opened the scoring, but Hertha clawed their way back into contention in an incredible opening period.

Goals from Dodi Lukebakio and Davie Selke, the latter from the spot, reignited the contest before the break, but Hertha never came close to equalising in a quieter second half.

Julian Nagelsmann's men consequently claimed their fourth consecutive Bundesliga win, moving two points clear of Union Berlin ahead of their trip to Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday.

Manuel Neuer, returning to the side, saved from Lukebakio early on, but Bayern took the lead with their first attack as Musiala collected Sadio Mane's pass before firing into the bottom-left corner after 12 minutes.

Choupo-Moting looked to have taken the game away from Hertha with his quickfire double, responding to Leon Goretzka's blocked shot to finish below Oliver Christensen before prodding home following a goalmouth scramble one minute later.

But Hertha responded in excellent fashion as Lukebakio volleyed Marco Richter's cross beyond Neuer and they reduced the deficit further when Benjamin Pavard pushed Selke in the area, the forward then converting from the spot on the stroke of half-time.

Bayern were denied a fourth as Alphonso Davies was found to have been offside when Marc-Oliver Kempf put through his own net after the break, before the Bayern left-back limped from the field after appearing to sustain a hamstring injury.

The second half was played out at a far slower pace than the first, with Nagelsmann's side holding on to their slender advantage after producing a controlled performance.

Manuel Neuer is expected to return from his seven-match injury absence for Bayern Munich's trip to Hertha Berlin on Saturday, according to Julian Nagelsmann.

A shoulder injury has kept Neuer sidelined since Bayern's dramatic 2-2 draw with Bundesliga rivals Borussia Dortmund last month, causing concern for both club and country.

While the goalkeeper's absence led to speculation he could miss Germany's World Cup opener against Japan on November 23, Nagelsmann repeatedly dismissed those concerns while urging caution over his return.

That approach looks to have paid off, with Nagelsmann revealing on Friday that Neuer was likely to replace Sven Ulreich between the sticks in the German capital.

"If the final training session goes well, Manu will come along and also play," he said at a pre-match news conference. "I assume it will, but we'll see how the shoulder reacts. This week went well.

"We didn't consciously wait longer, we just waited until he was pain-free. When you start again after an injury, there is always some risk, but I don't calculate that, it's the doctors. 

"If they give the clearance, [the risk] is obviously so small so that he can play, but anything can happen when you have a bruised shoulder. Football is a contact sport, so you can never rule everything out."

While Neuer's return is a huge boost for Bayern – who are one point adrift of surprise Bundesliga leaders Union Berlin, they will be without Thomas Muller and Matthijs de Ligt at the Olympiastadion.

"Thomas and Matthijs are still out. Matthijs' knee reacted again, so we could not increase [his workload]," Nagelsmann added.

"It was originally the idea [for De Ligt to return], but unfortunately it doesn't work. That's why he won't be flying to Berlin, the same with Thomas. The plan is for them to come back during the week."

Bayern finished their Champions League group-stage campaign with maximum points by beating Inter 2-0 last time out, becoming the first side to achieve that feat in consecutive seasons.

That means Bayern will be paired with one of Liverpool, Club Brugge, Milan or Paris Saint-Germain in Monday's last-16 draw, and Nagelsmann believes none of those sides will want to face them.

Asked about the prospect of meeting Liverpool, he said: "There are easier draws, but you can also turn the tables. There aren't too many teams who want to play against us. 

"It's all very hypothetical, the next Champions League game is in a few months. The current form of Liverpool, or us, or Milan, or PSG or Brugge is not decisive. 

"Until then, a lot will happen. I also read all of this, I know who our potential opponents are and I have an opinion on all of them. But I'm not making the choice, so we'll wait and see."

Julian Nagelsmann demanded Bayern Munich improve on last season's quarter-final exit from the Champions League after they concluded their group-stage campaign by beating Inter 2-0.

Bayern finished Group C with a 100 per cent winning record after goals from Benjamin Pavard and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting downed the Nerazzurri at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday.

The Bundesliga champions are the first team to win all six group games in two consecutive Champions League campaigns, as well as the first to do so on three occasions (also 2019-20).

Nagelsmann's side suffered a surprise elimination against Villarreal in the last eight back in April, and the Bayern boss says their efforts this term will count for little if they fall short again.

"We've had a very good group stage but that won't mean anything if we don't do well in the knockout phase," Nagelsmann told UEFA.com.

"We have to go further than last year. With the current spirit in the team, I'm confident.

"It was a very good and mature performance. The players who hadn't played much before today did very well. 

"In the end, we had a very young team on the pitch. It's a good feeling, as a coach, to know you can make changes without losing quality."

The highlight of Bayern's victory was a brilliant long-range strike from Choupo-Moting, who continued his strong run of form by picking out the top-left corner with 18 minutes to play.

He has now scored in each of his past five Champions League starts, and is just the third Cameroonian to score 10 goals in the competition after Samuel Eto'o (30) and Vincent Aboubakar (14).

Speaking to UEFA.com, Choupo-Moting expressed his delight at helping Bayern maintain their perfect European record for the season, saying: "It was definitely a beautiful goal. 

"It was an important one for us. I feel very good personally and with the team, we have been doing well in recent weeks.

"We knew we had a good team and that this would be a difficult group stage. But at the end of the day, we treat every game seriously to show that we are Bayern Munich. Now we will prepare for the knockout stage."

Bayern Munich finished their Champions League group-stage campaign with a 100 per cent record as Benjamin Pavard and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting scored in a 2-0 win over Inter on Tuesday.

With Bayern and Inter already guaranteed to finish first and second in Group C respectively, the hosts were the more coherent of two much-changed sides at the Allianz Arena.

Following a decent start from Inter, Pavard met Joshua Kimmich's delivery to put the hosts ahead, before Choupo-Moting added some gloss with a brilliant long-range strike after the break.

As a result, Julian Nagelsmann's men have won all six Champions League group games in consecutive seasons, finishing eight points clear of Inter to demonstrate their credentials as one of the top contenders for the European title.

Inter were controversially denied a ninth-minute penalty when Sadio Mane appeared to block Nicolo Barella's shot with both arms, then should have taken the lead when Lautaro Martinez stretched to fire over from just three yards out.

Bayern punished Inter for that miss after 32 minutes, as Pavard escaped Martinez's attentions to nod Kimmich's corner into the bottom-right corner.

Andre Onana turned Kingsley Coman's effort wide as half-time approached, before the offside flag denied the Nerazzurri when Francesco Acerbi headed a left-wing free-kick home after the restart.

Bayern exerted greater control in the second half, but saw Mane hook over from a decent position as they searched for a second goal.

The hosts had their two-goal fashion in spectacular fashion with 18 minutes remaining, as Choupo-Moting was given space to turn before crashing a right-footed strike into the top-left corner, dashing any hopes of an Inter comeback.

What does it mean? Bayern make history

Bayern's status among the favourites to win the Champions League was not exactly in doubt ahead of this campaign, but winning all six matches in a group containing Barcelona and Inter will only have strengthened other teams' hopes of avoiding them in the round of 16.

On Tuesday, Nagelsmann's men became the first side in Champions League history to win all six group games in back-to-back seasons, as well as the first club to do so on three occasions (also 2019-20, when they won the competition).  

Lethal hosts set goalscoring record

Bayern scored 18 goals across their six Group C outings, and despite Robert Lewandowski's decision to move to Barcelona in July, they retain the attacking quality to trouble any side in Europe.

Pavard's opener ensured Bayern have scored in their last 22 home matches in the Champions League, setting a new club record in the competition. 

Choupo-Moting comes up with the goods

When Lewandowski swapped Bavaria for Camp Nou, few would have expected Choupo-Moting to be among the players to fill the goalscoring breach for Bayern.

However, the 33-year-old has proved himself to be a capable deputy this season, and has now scored on each of his last five Champions League starts.

What's next?

Bayern go to Hertha Berlin for their next Bundesliga game on Saturday, while Inter visit their Derby d'Italia rivals Juventus in Serie A on Sunday.

Manuel Neuer and Lucas Hernandez were back in Bayern Munich training on Monday, with their respective hopes of being fit for the World Cup seemingly receiving a boost.

Bayern captain Neuer had been struggling with a shoulder injury that forced him to miss six games, but he returned to goalkeeper training ahead of Tuesday's Champions League clash with Inter.

As recently as last week Nagelsmann did not want to commit to Neuer being ready to feature for Germany at the World Cup, saying he is not a "mystic".

But he appears hopeful of being able to call upon the 36-year-old away to Hertha Berlin on Saturday.

"We hope he'll be available again for the weekend. He came through training well and didn't show any reaction. But we'll have to wait and see," Nagelsmann told reporters.

Tuesday's game will also come too soon for Hernandez, not that the match has much riding on it – Bayern and Inter are already confirmed as Group C winners and runners-up respectively.

However, the France international is close to a return to action after suffering an adductor tear in September, with Monday seeing him take part in full team training.

Thomas Muller remains sidelined for the time being as well.

The Germany attacker has struggled lately with a hip issue, and Nagelsmann accepts he may not even be available to face Hertha.

"We'll reduce Thomas's workload this week and see how things are for the weekend," Nagelsmann said.

"But I'm leaning more towards him not being back at the weekend."

Matthijs de Ligt is a new name to be added to the injury list for Tuesday with a minor knee injury, leaving Nagelsmann's squad down to its bare bones as they look to end the group stage with maximum points.

"We will have to rotate a bit because we have some injured players who shouldn't play more than 45 minutes," he added.

"Nevertheless, we want to win the game. Anyone can show themselves. It's still a Champions League game and 18 points would be nice."

However, Nagelsmann suggested he will not give chances to youngsters who do not deserve an opportunity as he bemoaned the Under-19s' Youth League elimination after winning none of their first five group games.

"We'll take everyone but we'll see [on Tuesday] whether [youngsters] get chances," he continued.

"In general, I'm a friend of the fact that you have to earn success. You have to develop your genes, which is particularly important for young players at FC Bayern Munich.

"Success is part of a good education. You're doomed to win here at the club, so it's a shame we were eliminated so early in the Youth League.

"At FC Bayern, you always have to be the best in the youth teams so that the step-up to the pros isn't so big."

Joshua Kimmich insists Bayern Munich will want to "send a message" in their final Champions League group game against Inter, despite it being a dead rubber.

Bayern secured top spot in Group C last week with a 3-0 win at Barcelona, while Inter confirmed second place prior to that with a 4-0 victory at home to Viktoria Plzen.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of the clash at the Allianz Arena, Kimmich emphasised the importance for the Bundesliga side to maintain their recent high standards, even with nothing riding on the outcome of the game.

"The coach has addressed it already," he said. "We need to send a message to ourselves and our opponents. We want to play freely and have fun out on the pitch, like we have [been doing] lately. We want to win the game in order to send a message."

Bayern are unbeaten in nine games in all competitions (W8 D1) but despite being on course to win all six of their games in a tough Champions League group, Kimmich believes they cannot be considered favourites to go all the way until the competition resumes next year.

"In February, March and April, it will be decided who the favourites are," he said. "We are proud that we won our group, a very difficult group. It's remarkable that we topped it before the final matchday."

Head coach Julian Nagelsmann admitted he will look to partially rotate his team against Inter, with this one of four games they still have to play before breaking for the World Cup in less than two weeks.

"We will rotate," he said. "How many changes we make depends on how things go today and tomorrow. We won't take any risks, after all, the last few weeks have been very intense."

The former RB Leipzig boss added the game will come too soon for the likes of Leroy Sane, Lucas Hernandez, Thomas Muller, Matthijs de Ligt and Manuel Neuer, though did add the goalkeeper - who has not played since the 2-2 draw with Borussia Dortmund on October 8 - could be back for the weekend, putting to rest concerns Neuer might not make the World Cup.

"We're hoping Manu will return this weekend," he said. "He had no issues during and after training today. We will need to wait and see."

Julian Nagelsmann is finding his Bayern Munich side "fun to watch" after they hammered Mainz 6-2 to go top of the Bundesliga on Saturday.

The ruthless Bavarian giants extended their winning streak to six matches by putting Mainz to the sword at the Allianz Arena following a 3-0 midweek victory at Barcelona in the Champions League.

Bayern had six different goalscorers for only the third time in a Bundesliga match, with Mainz the opponents in two of those games, the other occasion being in August 2019.

Serge Gnabry, Jamal Musiala and Sadio Mane were on target in a first half that ended with Silvan Widmer pulling a goal back just after Sven Ulreich saved a Jonathan Burkardt penalty.

Leon Goretzka, Mathys Tel and the in-form Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting were on target in the second half, with Marcus Ingvartsen scoring Mainz's second goal after a mistake from Ulrich.

That is now a staggering 39 goals Bayern have scored in a nine-match unbeaten run, moving them above Union Berlin at the summit, and head coach Nagelsmann is lapping up the entertainment.

He said: "I think we had difficult five to 10 minutes at the beginning of the first and second half. Otherwise we did really well.

"Big compliment to the team for performing this way every three days. It's fun to watch – a mix of quality and attitude. Compliments to my players."

Mane and Musiala caused Mainz all sort of problems as Bayern came forward with wave after wave of attacks.

Nagelsmann praised big-money signing Mane, who has already scored 11 goals in his first season for the club.

He said: "I'm happy with Sadio Mane's performance. The development of the past two weeks was good because of his position.

"He plays more on the wing where he played at Liverpool. He did well today, like he did in Barcelona and hopefully will continue this way."

Manuel Neuer and Thomas Muller – pillars of the Germany national team over the last decade – are battling to prove their fitness with barely three weeks remaining until the World Cup begins.

Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann confirmed in a press conference on Friday that neither player will be fit enough to feature in Saturday's Bundesliga game against Mainz.

Goalkeeper Neuer remains troubled by a shoulder issue, while attacking midfielder Muller has a hip problem, and Nagelsmann could not say with conviction when both will be back in club action.

The news will inevitably be a worry for Germany boss Hansi Flick, as the former Bayern head coach finalises his plans for the Qatar 2022 finals.

Muller played for half an hour as a substitute in Bayern's 3-0 win at Barcelona on Wednesday, but the 33-year-old will not be risked at all against Mainz, and almost certainly will also sit out the Champions League meeting with Inter next Tuesday.

"He has irritation in his hip again, in the pelvic area," Nagelsmann said. "He won't be able to play, probably not even on Tuesday. We'll probably have to take him out for a week to give him a break.

"Thomas is in good spirits. We talked to a couple of medical professionals yesterday and tried to get a better picture of everything, but the picture didn't really change.

"It's not something that goes away with pain medication either. It feels blocked, and it's difficult to define how the pain is manifesting itself. I decided it would be better just to take him out of action for the time being.

"[Saturday] is the type of game where even for 10 or 15 minutes you have to give absolutely everything, so if we give him that 10 or 15 minutes, he's ultimately going to have to drop out potentially for the next game. We've got to see how it develops and how it reacts.

"The key right now is instead of blindly testing it out constantly, to give it a bit of calm and see how it reacts to that and then see how his recovery goes."

Neuer, the 36-year-old captain of Bayern and Germany, has played no active part since Bayern's 2-2 draw at Borussia Dortmund on October 8.

It is obvious to Nagelsmann that having Neuer fit is not only a priority for Bayern but a matter of national interest.

There are no promises at the moment, but Nagelsmann is hoping Neuer may be able to return next weekend at Hertha Berlin.

"I'm not a mystic that can see into the future," Nagelsmann said. "We put him in the game against Dortmund and maybe that was a game too early, and now he's sat out a couple of games.

"It's very difficult for me to know how the pain will be managed. It's a structural area of the body that needs time to heal and a joint that needs a bit of calm as well, so if you're constantly testing it and putting a burden on it, it can be tough.

"I'm anticipating he will be ready for the World Cup, but I'm not a psychic. We're going to do everything we can to help him be there for the World Cup."

Bayern are the hosts on Saturday against a Mainz team who led at the Allianz Arena last season before slipping to a 2-1 defeat.

However, Mainz have beaten Bayern twice in the past two seasons, both times when having home advantage.

Among sides currently in the top flight, only Augsburg have also taken six points from their last three matches against Bayern – no teams have managed more.

Heading into this meeting, Bayern and Mainz have both won their last two games, each scoring seven goals and conceding none – a league high in this timeframe.

Mainz are also top of the away form table this season with 12 points from six away games, marking them down as a threat.

Bayern nevertheless head into the weekend programme just one point behind early leaders Union Berlin, who must wait until Sunday before tackling Borussia Monchengladbach.

"We're in a good rhythm right now," said Nagelsmann. "Against Barcelona, we looked like a solid unit who all had the same goal in mind. The team have a great connection with one another."

Julian Nagelsmann praised Bayern Munich's "very mature" performance as they eased to a 3-0 Champions League win against Barcelona at Camp Nou.

Goals from Sadio Mane, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Benjamin Pavard – all assisted by Serge Gnabry – earned the Bundesliga side victory against the beleaguered hosts.

Barca had already seen their elimination from the Champions League confirmed after Group C rivals Inter's 4-0 win over Viktoria Plzen earlier on Wednesday.

Similarly, Bayern were already assured of a last-16 place and went on to clinch top spot with another three points against the Blaugrana.

"The performance was very strong, very mature," Nagelsmann said after the game, in which his team denied Barca a single shot on target.

"We knew we needed to play well, defend well and wait for [attacking] situations. Serge played an incredible game, the defensive line played a great game as well.

"In 94 minutes we did not concede a single shot on target… the team played a tremendous game."

Much of the focus before and after the game was on Barcelona's underwhelming Group C campaign.

Nagelsmann suggested the discourse around the LaLiga side would not be so negative had they avoided defeat in Munich, when Xavi's men lost 2-0 despite playing well.

"I am not a Barca coach, but I think we were a little bit lucky in Munich," he said. "If that game works out differently, then Barca would be looking stronger."

In a game that saw Barca's former Bayern striker Robert Lewandowski was kept quiet, it was fitting that his former deputy, Choupo-Moting, scored.

The Cameroon international has netted six goals in 11 games (four starts) in all competitions this season, including five in his past four outings for Bayern.

"Choupo's style always has something to do with the flow because he needs that confidence," Nagelsmann said of the 33-year-old. "He is a great finisher, he rarely finishes badly and I think he's doing a great job in general, not just scoring goals.

"We're very happy to have him. Last year he was missing a lot for different reasons, now he's here fully and we're trying to support him as best as possible."

Bayern Munich eased to a 3-0 win to compound a miserable day for Barcelona as they were eliminated from the Champions League at the group stage for a second successive season.

Inter's 4-0 win against Viktoria Plzen earlier on Wednesday had already sealed Barca's fate, which led to a sombre mood from the first whistle at Camp Nou.

First-half goals from Sadio Mane and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting were followed by a Benjamin Pavard strike with the last kick of the game.

Bayern were already through from Group C but confirmed themselves as group winners ahead of Inter with this win, with Barca dropping into the Europa League.

2 - #FCBarcelona has been eliminated of UEFA Champions League #UCL group stage in back-to-back seasons, something that had not happened since the 1997-98 and 1998-99 campaings under Louis Van Gaal. Disappointment. pic.twitter.com/GkcqNp2Ncq

It took just 10 minutes for Bayern to strike after Serge Gnabry played a ball through to Mane, who outpaced Hector Bellerin before calmly dinking the ball past Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

The second also came thanks to an assured pass from Gnabry as Bayern countered and Choupo-Moting was slipped in on the right of the penalty area, firing his shot through the legs of Ter Stegen just after the half-hour mark.

The hosts thought they had a penalty just before half-time when referee Anthony Taylor pointed to the spot after Robert Lewandowski was felled by Matthijs de Ligt, but a VAR check revealed the Dutch centre-back got a touch on the ball before any contact was made with the former Bayern man.

Gnabry had the ball in the net with a terrific left-foot finish to Ter Stegen's right 10 minutes into the second half, yet his effort was ruled out for offside.

A game that had the feeling of a dead rubber fizzled out, with Lewandowski and Co. never looking like getting back into the game before Gnabry had his third assist of the night as his volley from a corner found Pavard at the far post for a tap-in.

Julian Nagelsmann has challenged Bayern Munich to "send a message" to their Champions League rivals by completing a group-stage double over Barcelona.

Hosts Barcelona are staring at elimination ahead of Wednesday's Group C clash at Camp Nou, where even victory might not be enough to keep them in the hunt for a last-16 spot – they need Viktoria Plzen to cause a shock against Inter in the other group game.

Bayern, however, are determined to take all three points, and head coach Nagelsmann said on the eve of the game his players should ignore the issues affecting their opposition.

"We're already through to the next round," he said. "To be honest, it's not important to me who else gets through. The only thing that matters to me is that we finish first.

"We have nothing against Barca, but we have a passion for winning. If you want to win the Champions League, you have to send a message to your opponents. Tomorrow will be an opportunity to do exactly that."

Lucas Hernandez and Leroy Sane scored when Bayern beat Barcelona 2-0 at the Allianz Arena six weeks ago, after the Bundesliga champions somehow kept out the LaLiga side in the first half.

Nagelsmann reckoned Barcelona could have been 3-0 up by the break in that game, but their lack of a clinical finish proved costly.

By taking just one point from two games against Inter since, the Catalans are careering towards elimination from the top tier and a heavy landing in the Europa League.

Nagelsmann laughed off an airport arrival video showing Thomas Muller saying he and Bayern were coming for Robert Lewandowski, the striker who left the Germans for Barcelona after a 50-goal 2021-22 season.

Nagelsmann said Muller and Lewandowski have "a great connection" and stressed how he was pleased, going by Instagram posts, that Lewandowski appears to be content with life at Barcelona.

"I saw he scored a lot of goals, so I think he's happy," Nagelsmann said.

"I'm always happy when people I've worked with are happy in their lives, and it looks like he is by his posts. We are happy too, so it's all good."

Lewandowski has managed 17 goals in 15 games for Barcelona so far. Five of those goals have come in the Champions League, a hat-trick against Viktoria Plzen and two late on in the 3-3 Camp Nou draw with Inter.

As Barcelona look like heading out of the top-tier competition, Nagelsmann at least had praise for the "extreme" change he has seen at the club in recent times.

"It's always good to improve your squad and Barcelona did that. They have a great squad," said the Bayern boss. "It's a massive squad with a lot of success on the European stage and national level.

"They are one of the most attractive teams to watch. I'm not sure how it will affect them financially in the event of an exit."