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Bayern Munich put out a real statement of intent in their quest to clinch a memorable treble at the end of a remarkable season by handing an absolute thrashing to Barcelona in their Champions League quarter-final encounter.
Although the German champions were considered to be favourites going into the tie, even they could not have predicted that the score would read 8-2 in their favour at the final whistle.
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The match was a breathtaking end-to-end affair from kick-off, with Bayern Munich getting in on the act early and taking the lead through Thomas Muller in the fourth minute. Barcelona didn’t take long to respond, however, and were back on level terms just three minutes later via an unfortunate David Alaba own goal.
From then on, it was near-complete dominance from the Bavarians. They went into the break 4-1 up thanks to goals from Ivan Perisic, Serge Gnabry, and Muller again.
Despite being three goals behind at the break, Barcelona did manage to create chances of their own and halved the deficit soon after the restart. Luis Suarez’s goal in the 57th minute gave the Spaniards a glimmer of hope, which was quickly wiped away by Joshua Kimmich, who scored Bayern Munich’s fifth.
After a period of close shaves but no goals, Robert Lewandowski then grabbed his now-customary goal to put the game beyond doubt for Bayern Munich. The humiliation was completed later on, though, as on-loan Barcelona forward Philippe Coutinho came on as a substitute to net twice against his parent club.
Bayern Munich now march on to face either Manchester City or Lyon in the quarter-finals and must surely be considered as favourites to lift the title now. As for Barca, the future looks bleak for Quique Setien and a number of the players as they head home on the back of utter humiliation.
Here are 5 major talking points from one of the most remarkable results in Champions League history.
#1 Barcelona have no Plan B
Barcelona’s footballing philosophy is the stuff of legend and their possession-based passing style of play has won them several honours over the years. However, with an increasing number of teams figuring out ways to beat the system, questions are being raised about the Spanish side’s apparent inability to play any other way.
This was easily apparent in this tie, as their insistence on playing out from the back landed them in trouble time and again against a high-pressing Bayern side. Even so, Quique Setien’s men steadfastly refused to change their approach even as the goals kept going in.
It was the first time that Barcelona had conceded four first-half goals in a Champions League match and only the second time in a European match that they had shipped five in one game.
By the time the eighth went in, it was uncharted territory for a Barcelona defence that had been woefully poor and completely devoid of answers for the entirety of the game.
#2 Bayern Munich’s attack is the best in the world but defence is still an issue
It might seem unbelievable to find fault in a team that has just scored eight goals past a Lionel Messi-led Barcelona side. And yet a possible weakness was exposed in the seemingly impervious Bayern Munich armour.
While most of the attention was rightly directed towards the goals flying in at the other end, the two goals that Bayern Munich conceded themselves went under the radar.
The German side’s high press meant that they left themselves wide open at the back and were incredibly susceptible to the ball in behind or over the top.
It’s easy to forget that out of the Bayern Munich back four, only an ageing Jerome Boateng was playing in what is considered to be his natural position. While Kimmich seems to have completed the transition into midfield, David Alaba is a left-back by trade and Alphonso Davies was signed as a flying left-winger.
It is a testament to the quality of these players that they have performed as well as they have all season. But the two goals Bayern Munich conceded tonight would have caught the eye of future opponents as a potential avenue to exploit.
#3 Bayern Munich’s veterans shine as Barca’s fade
At an average age of 29 years and 329 days, Barcelona fielded their oldest starting eleven for a Champions League match. While the likes of Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets, and Arturo Vidal brought a wealth of experience into the side, the lack of pace through the spine of the Barca side was clearly visible.
This was exploited to the fullest extent by a pacy and hungry Bayern Munich side that pressed high up the pitch. The Bavarians did not allow Barcelona’s players any time on the ball whatsoever.
In the Bayern Munich camp, however, experienced Champions League campaigners were finding a new lease of life. While 31-year-old Robert Lewandowski has grabbed the headlines for his goal-scoring exploits this season, 30-year-old Thomas Muller has been revitalised under Hansi Flick.
Having already broken the record for most assists in a Bundesliga campaign this season, Muller broke the record for most Champions League appearances by a German player in this match and marked the occasion with a brace.
Combined with the skill and pace of Bayern Munich’s younger players, the German side seem to have found the ideal mix of youth and exuberance to hold them in good stead for some time to come. On the other hand, their Spanish opposition on the night seem to have gone the other way.
#4 Griezmann’s disappointing Barca career hits new low
A one-legged Champions League quarter-final against your toughest opponents in the competition yet seems to be the perfect occasion to start your high-profile, World Cup-winning striker.
However, for Barcelona and Antoine Griezmann, it just doesn’t seem to have clicked at all. The former Atletico Madrid man had to make do with a place on the bench for this crunch encounter against Bayern Munich.
Even after his introduction at half-time, Griezmann failed to make a claim for more starting roles in the future. The Frenchman was largely anonymous on the field and failed to make any contributions of note.
#5 Messi can’t do it all on his own anymore
Although Bayern Munich were considered to be the favourites ahead of this quarter-final tie, Barcelona did have an ace up their sleeve in the form of their Argentine playmaker.
The image of Messi making Bayern Munich defender Jerome Boateng fall flat en-route scoring past Manuel Neuer was dug up once again as a reminder of exactly what the Barcelona skipper was capable of.
However, a lot of time has passed since then. And now we are at the stage when Messi can’t drag an underperforming Barca side past quality opposition without the help of his teammates anymore.
He remained on the periphery of the game for the majority of the 90 minutes. The Argentine was restricted to shots from outside the box in frustration as he watched his side concede goal after goal without mounting any sort of a comeback.
