Bayern Munich hammered Barcelona by a clear 4-0 margin in the first leg of UEFA Champions League first semifinal at Allianz Arena lastnight, took a massive step toward returning to the Champions League final will be played at Wembley 25th May. Thomas Muller scored a brace in the 25th & 82nd minute, Mario Gomez & Arjen Robben scored one each in the 49th minute & 73rd minute of the game respectively.
Barcelona
suffer their heaviest defeat in European competition since 1997 eventually when
the two teams last met
The Catalans eased into its possession game
from the outset, but Bayern, a side who wrapped up the Bundesliga in record time
this season, and scored 16 goals in the space of 10 days recently, certainly
had no reason to feel inferior.
The
Bavarians had the first chance in the very early minutes of the game with
Robben exchanging passes with Martinez before shooting straight at Victor
Valdes in the second minute.
Two
genuine penalty appeals against the Catalan side which had convinced the
Allianz Arena crowd were not as much entertained by referee Viktor Kassai.
But the hosts didn’t genuinely need
any helping hands as they took the lead in the 25th minute.
Arjen
Robben's cross from the right picked out Dante at the far post, and he returned
the ball to the opposite post where Mueller was encroaching to head in the
opener with Victor Valdes unable to stop the ball before it crept in.
Dante
averted a minor scare five minutes later when he got in a vital touch just in
front of an anonymous Messi from Pedro's cross, but that was a mere punctuation
in a dominant display from Bayern.
The
hosts doubled the lead in the 49th minute when Robben's corner was headed down
at the far post by Mueller with an unmarked Gomez sweeping the ball in from
underneath the crossbar.
They
established that in the 73rd minute when Robben capped a fine individual
performance by sliding the ball inside the far post after getting in around the
back of Jordi Alba, who appeared to be impeded by Mueller in the build-up.
Marc
Bartra wasted a rare opportunity for the guests in the 76th minute before
Mueller wrapped things up six minutes
later, tucking the ball in from close range after David Alaba got round the back of Barca's crumbling defense.
Barca may have felt some key decisions went against them, with appeals
against Gomez for offside when he netted
By
the end it was a humiliation. Barcelona, the team that have made their
reputation on merciless thrashings, know what it feels like to be on the wrong
end of a good old-fashioned one themselves. They had been outfought,
out-thought and, ultimately, outplayed and, from here, who can possibly see
Bayern surrendering this position and not making it to Wembley on 25 May?
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