... BUT WIN AND THEY’LL FACE BRUTAL BAYERN WHO BATTERED BARCA!
BARCELONA...2 BAYERN...8
Alphonso Davies toyed with his opponent. he waved a boot over the ball, shaped to move, dared nelson semedo to commit. Then he did it again. semedo stood, transfixed. he didn’t want to dive in, he didn’t want to be the sucker. and then, like that, Davies was gone.
as were Bayern Munich. Disappearing over the horizon, a different class to the artists formerly known as the best team in europe. This was a spectacular dismantling. Barcelona’s biggest defeat in europe and their heaviest defeat since losing 11-1 to sevilla in 1940.
Munich were magnificent, but Barcelona were abject. Without heart, without pride. Taken apart in a second half when philippe Coutinho — their player, remember — came on and scored two late goals to make the scoreline a mathematical humiliation.
Back to Davies. semedo chased, struggled to keep up, fell over, Davies cut the ball back to Joshua Kimmich arriving as if attending a five-alarm fire; or what was about to become a five-goal routing. he sent the ball back the way it came, but towards goal. Barcelona have not conceded that many in an individual european tie since losing to levski sofia in the UeFa Cup in 1976. it has been a fair run, 44 years. But this had the appearance of a milestone result. and it was about to get a lot worse.
Robert lewandowski had not got on the scoresheet yet, but he quickly made amends. Coutinho’s cross, lewandowski steered his header in at the far post. That was number six. Countinho added seven and eight, almost apologetically, given his loan status.
By the end Barcelona looked haunted. so they should be. Munich had 26 attempts at goal. They could have had more.
The most dangerous presence on the field was not, as expected, lewandowski. it was Barcelona’s defence. Collectively and individually, they were a menace — not least goalkeeper Marcandre ter stegen, who appeared to be on a mission to present his colleagues with a series of dares and challenges, by passing to them in the most precarious positions.
nobody wishes to see a return to the days when goalkeepers hoofed the ball aimlessly upfield. Yet there is a middle ground between that, and what we saw from Barcelona last night: Ter stegen in his six-yard box, flanked by defenders, and taking the type of tap- touch familiar from short corners. What is the point — especially when, as Bayern Munich pressed ferociously, the end result was often a hasty pass back to Ter stegen who would then boot it to a cluster of Munich players waiting in the heart of midfield for exactly that development. it was like watching a boys’ team marshalled by an idealistic coach, crushed by more worldly wise opponents. except there was nothing cynical about Munich’s approach. They were simply better: smarter, more clinical in front of goal, attuned to how Barcelona wanted to play and how to negate it, exposing weaknesses and taking full, powerful advantage. They were swift on the counter-attack, ferociously intelligent in their movement, every inch the team to beat in this competition this season. Manchester City have been the best of it post-lockdown in england but, if lyon can be overcome tonight, they will have their work cut out next Wednesday against hansi Flick’s team. Munich haven’t lost a game in 2020 and, a few early teething issues aside, didn’t look like it here.
The opening goal came after just four minutes. at the other end, Barcelona had threatened after Jerome Boateng was called upon to cut out a sergi Roberto cross that was heading for luis suarez in space at the far post, but from the next attack Barcelona were behind and always struggling to gain a foothold after that.
The move was started by ivan perisic on the left. he played an excellent ball in for Thomas Muller, whose one-two with lewandowski left Barca’s back line bamboozled.
Muller made his finish look easy — in reality the ball was dropping slightly behind him, requiring a late adjustment to shoot past Ter stegen. it was his 198th goal for the club. What a player he has been in that time.
it was a blow for Barcelona but there was little sign of the calamity to come. initially they looked to have got away with it. Jordi alba sped down the left flank and aimed for suarez, again. This time it fell to David alaba to deal with the danger and he sliced at the ball, sending it spinning past Manuel neuer and into the net. Barcelona were level — and had they taken their chances could have been more. instead, in a 10-minute spell, Munich simply took them apart.
it began with a 21st minute counter-attack that saw serge Gnabry play a lovely pass inside for perisic, as ever on the overlap and dangerous. his low shot may have caught the slightest deflection but it defeated Ter stegen at the near post.
The ball kept getting recycled in Munich’s favour. in the 27th minute, a Thiago pass having swept up once again in midfield found leon Goretzka who played the pass of the night into Gnabry, arriving late to finish with a low shot.
Ter stegen did his best to make it four by delivering the ball directly to lewandowski after 29 minutes, instead Munich had to wait for the next attack to score the next, Joshua Kimmich down the right, crossing for Muller, whose appearance at the near post ensured Barcelona’s goalkeeper had no chance with this one.
it was the first time Barca had conceded four in the first half in the Champions league era.
suarez got one back after 57 minutes, pouncing on a cross from alba and making a fool of Boateng in the process, but it was scant consolation. This was a chastening experience. There will be a new coach, and maybe a new direction. here was a strategy that had been well and truly tumbled.
8 BAYERN MUNICH are the first team to score eight goals in a Champions League knockout game. They have now won their last 19 games in all competitions — a German record.