Champions League: Bayern Munich trash Barcelona 4-0
Barcelona were humiliated 4-0 on Tuesday in the Champions League semi-finals at the Allianz Arena, in a game where the Catalans were anticipated to do so much better.
Muller got the scoring off and underway when he powered home a header at the near post after 25 minutes, which Victor Valdes failed to keep from crossing the line despite getting his body behind the ball.
Barca could have been behind as early as the second minute when Gomez’s backheel found Robben marauding towards goal, but his close-range toe-poke was kept out by Valdes.
Lionel Messi was given the all-clear to return to action for Barca following a hamstring injury he picked up in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Paris St Germain, but the Argentine playmaker was badly off the pace and made little impact for the away side.
Mario Gomez then doubled the German’s advantage just after half-time when he tapped in from close range, and then the Dutch winger, Arjen Robben, ran at the Barcelona defence and curled in a sumptuous finish from a tight angle for a controversial third.
The Barcelona defence now looked susceptible on every attack, and it was no surprise when Thomas Mueller tapped in a fourth with only eight minutes left after wonderful approach play from his teammates.
Get FC Barcelona tickets and Bayern Munich tickets for the Champions League Semi-Final tickets securely online now!!
Barca's loss represented their heaviest defeat in European competition and Messi conceded that the odds are against the Catalans turning the tie around at Camp Nou next week.
"It's 4-0 and it will be difficult because they are a great team," Messi told reporters.
"They were a lot stronger than us – physically superior in fact. It's a disgrace what happened, but we have to go on.
"We'll try to score at home and do our best. We must go on. Now we must win la Liga soon."
The Argentina international had not featured for the Blaugrana since making a rapid return from a hamstring strain to lead his side into the last four at the expense of Paris Saint-Germain on April 10 and he seemed to struggle to get into the game against Bayern.
However, he dismissed the suggestion that he should not have been risked in the first leg.
"It was some days since I played and I didn't feel 100% comfortable but I was not injured, so I could play," the 25-year-old insisted.
If Bayern were to score in the Nou Camp next week, Barcelona would need to score six to progress, and with their defence looking so fragile it seems likely that Munich will constantly threaten on the counter attack.
About 1st4FootballTickets.com: Thousands of football tickets are on sale on Europe's biggest football ticketing website: We have English Premier League tickets such as Arsenal tickets, Liverpool FC tickets and tickets for Chelsea FC. But also football cup tickets such as Europa League Tickets and FA Cup Final 2013 tickets.
Muller got the scoring off and underway when he powered home a header at the near post after 25 minutes, which Victor Valdes failed to keep from crossing the line despite getting his body behind the ball.
Barca could have been behind as early as the second minute when Gomez’s backheel found Robben marauding towards goal, but his close-range toe-poke was kept out by Valdes.
Lionel Messi was given the all-clear to return to action for Barca following a hamstring injury he picked up in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Paris St Germain, but the Argentine playmaker was badly off the pace and made little impact for the away side.
Mario Gomez then doubled the German’s advantage just after half-time when he tapped in from close range, and then the Dutch winger, Arjen Robben, ran at the Barcelona defence and curled in a sumptuous finish from a tight angle for a controversial third.
The Barcelona defence now looked susceptible on every attack, and it was no surprise when Thomas Mueller tapped in a fourth with only eight minutes left after wonderful approach play from his teammates.
Get FC Barcelona tickets and Bayern Munich tickets for the Champions League Semi-Final tickets securely online now!!
Barca's loss represented their heaviest defeat in European competition and Messi conceded that the odds are against the Catalans turning the tie around at Camp Nou next week.
"It's 4-0 and it will be difficult because they are a great team," Messi told reporters.
"They were a lot stronger than us – physically superior in fact. It's a disgrace what happened, but we have to go on.
"We'll try to score at home and do our best. We must go on. Now we must win la Liga soon."
The Argentina international had not featured for the Blaugrana since making a rapid return from a hamstring strain to lead his side into the last four at the expense of Paris Saint-Germain on April 10 and he seemed to struggle to get into the game against Bayern.
However, he dismissed the suggestion that he should not have been risked in the first leg.
"It was some days since I played and I didn't feel 100% comfortable but I was not injured, so I could play," the 25-year-old insisted.
If Bayern were to score in the Nou Camp next week, Barcelona would need to score six to progress, and with their defence looking so fragile it seems likely that Munich will constantly threaten on the counter attack.
About 1st4FootballTickets.com: Thousands of football tickets are on sale on Europe's biggest football ticketing website: We have English Premier League tickets such as Arsenal tickets, Liverpool FC tickets and tickets for Chelsea FC. But also football cup tickets such as Europa League Tickets and FA Cup Final 2013 tickets.
