Bayern Munich has sent a clear message to their Champions League rivals with a commanding performance that saw the Bavarians decimate Barcelona 8-2 in the quarter-finals.
This performance is an emphatic and ominous message to either Manchester City or Lyon who could be playing the Bavarians in the semi finals.
- Muller has now scored six goals against Barcelona in the Champions League, the most by any player against the Spaniards in the competition’s history.
- Lewandowski is the first player to score in eight or more consecutive Champions League matches since Cristiano Ronaldo in April 2018 (11 games).
- Barcelona have been eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Champions League for a fourth time in the past five seasons.
- Bayern Munich have won their last 19 matches in all competitions, a record run in German top-flight football in all competitions.
- Bayern manager Hans-Dieter Flick is the third manager in Champions League history to win his first six matches in charge, after Fabio Capello in 1992-93 and Luis Fernandez in 1994-95.
- Barcelona have lost six Champions League matches against Bayern Munich – two more than against any other side.
Bayern began the game in their high-pressing, energetic manner and were ruthless and on a different level to their Spanish rivals to score four goals in each half to Barca’s one as well.
Bayern Munich Vs Barcelona highlight
In defeating a shambolic Barca side whose defensive errors were too numerous to recount, Bayern took the lead inside four minutes through Thomas Muller. The midfielder began to set a new and embarrassing record for the Spanish side in European competition following a one-two with Robert Lewandowski.
Barcelona equalised when David Alaba wildly sliced a Jordi Alba cross into his own net.
Although Bayern too has its own weakness at the back, Barca failed to take advantage of that after Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez found space behind them regularly to cause problems and test Manuel Neuer. Within ten minutes, Suarez was denied by Neuer and Messi hit the post with a curling cross through a packed box.
Bayern took the game away from Barca in the next 22 minutes with Ivan Perisic smashing in a deflected shot to score the second for Bayern before Serge Gnabry gave them a two-goal lead from a delightful ball over the top from Leon Goretzka.
Muller at the dearth of half time poked in his second at the near post.
Barcelona later reduced the deficit in the second half through Suarez who made a nice turn and finished. This gave the Spanish side hope, but it was dashed by the pick of the goals from Joshua Kimmich, Robert Lewandowski, and Philippe Coutinho.
Kimmich restored their three-goal lead after side-footing the ball past Barca’s goalie to finish from stunning skill and excellent delivery from Alphonso Davies.
Lewandowski finally got his 14th Champions League goal of the season in just eight games and Coutinho – on loan from the Spanish side – netted a seventh and eighth via close-range finishes after coming off the bench.
