Barcelona 3-0 Bayern Munich - BBC Sport

Publish date: 2024-01-25

Lionel Messi scored twice as Barcelona struck three times in the final 13 minutes of the first leg to whisk their Champions League semi-final tie away from a stubborn Bayern Munich side.

The hosts seemed set for a frustrating night before Messi fired a low shot home from the edge of the area.

Three minutes later he skipped past Jerome Boateng and dinked home coolly.

Led by ex-Barca boss Pep Guardiola, Bayern pushed for an away goal and were punished again as Neymar raced clear.

Until the devastating conclusion, the Germans had produced an excellent tactical display.

Bayern Munich failed to get a shot on target for the first time in a Champions League game since losing 2-1 to Bordeaux in October 2009.
Bordeaux defender Michael Ciani scored at both ends for the French side.

Stripped of the twin attacking threats of the injured Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben, they frustrated the hosts for large periods and could have had a goal of their own had Robert Lewandowski connected cleanly with Thomas Muller's cross.

But while Guardiola's four trophy-filled years at the Nou Camp had been based on monopolising possession and patient build-up, the Barcelona that has emerged in his absence is a more dynamic animal.

Their attacking trio of Luis Suarez, Messi and Neymar - while never entirely shackled - had seemed well-guarded after an open initial 15 minutes, but they burst into life at the end.

Guardiola predicted before the match that it was "impossible" to stifle Messi, but goalkeeper Manuel Neuer's hurried free-kick that gifted Barcelona the lead was very avoidable.

As possession turned over the Argentina forward took advantage of a pocket of space to fire home.

If Messi's first was preventable, his second was irresistible as he left Boateng floundering and deftly lifted the ball over the giant frame of Neuer.

Guardiola's opening gambit on his return to Catalonia had been a back three of Rafinha, Boateng and Medhi Benatia, but that was hastily re-jigged as an under-staffed defence was initially stretched horribly out of shape.

If that tactical mistake went unpunished, Barcelona were more ruthless as Bayern pushed forward late on and Neymar scampered clear in injury time to seemingly end the tie as a contest.

Bayern require more of the fighting spirit that saw them recover from 3-1 adrift against Porto in the previous round.

Ominously for English teams it was a match that suggested a chasm in class - rather than a statistical anomaly - is behind their recent absence from the latter stages of the competition.

Line-ups

Barcelona

Formation 4-3-3

1ter Stegen

22Alves da Silva3Piqué14Mascherano18Alba

4Rakitic5Busquets8Iniesta

10Messi9Suárez11Neymar

Substitutes

Bayern Munich

Formation 3-4-2-1

1Neuer

5Benatia17Boateng13Ferreira de Souza

6Thiago Alcántara21Lahm3Alonso18Bernat

25Müller31Schweinsteiger

9Lewandowski

Substitutes

Referee:Nicola Rizzoli

Attendance:95,639

Match Stats

Live Text

  • Match ends, Barcelona 3, FC Bayern München 0.

  • Second Half ends, Barcelona 3, FC Bayern München 0.

  • Goal! Barcelona 3, FC Bayern München 0. Neymar (Barcelona) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Lionel Messi with a through ball.

  • Robert Lewandowski (FC Bayern München) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  • Foul by Dani Alves (Barcelona).

  • Mario Götze (FC Bayern München) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  • Foul by Sergio Busquets (Barcelona).

  • Foul by Rafinha (FC Bayern München).

  • Luis Suárez (Barcelona) wins a free kick on the left wing.

  • Substitution, Barcelona. Marc Bartra replaces Javier Mascherano.

  • Substitution, Barcelona. Rafinha replaces Andrés Iniesta.

  • Attempt missed. Bastian Schweinsteiger (FC Bayern München) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right.

  • Attempt missed. Luis Suárez (Barcelona) right footed shot from the right side of the box is too high. Assisted by Neymar with a through ball.

  • Substitution, Barcelona. Xavi replaces Ivan Rakitic.

  • Goal! Barcelona 2, FC Bayern München 0. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Ivan Rakitic.

  • Substitution, FC Bayern München. Mario Götze replaces Thomas Müller.

  • Goal! Barcelona 1, FC Bayern München 0. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) left footed shot from outside the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Dani Alves.

  • Attempt missed. Thiago Alcántara (FC Bayern München) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Juan Bernat.

  • Foul by Medhi Benatia (FC Bayern München).

  • Luis Suárez (Barcelona) wins a free kick on the left wing.

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