Brilliant Bayern crush Barcelona at the Allianz Arena

A quite brilliant team performance from Bayern Munich saw them deliver a seemingly knock-out blow to Barcelona as they beat them 4-0 in the 1st leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final at the Allianz Arena.

It is not often that Barcelona get mauled by that margin in a game, but it was a special night in Munich, one that belonged to Bayern from start to finish. A double from Thomas Mueller, who was outstanding on the night, and a goal a piece for Mario Gomez and Arjen Robben left Barca needing nothing short of a miracle in the return leg in 8 days time to overturn this deficit.

Gomez came in for suspended striker Mario Mandzukic while Jerome Boateng replaced Daniel Van Buyten in defence in the only 2 changes made by Jupp Heynckes from the team that beat Juventus. Barcelona were missing the services of Carles Puyol and Javier Mascherano through injury, and that meant a start for youngster Marc Bartra alongside Gerard Pique. Lionel Messi was passed fit to play, but through his performance in the game gave the impression that he wasn't exactly a 100%.

Bayern got off the blocks quickly; after scoring a 2nd minute goal against Juve, they once again fashioned a scoring opportunity after just 4 minutes when Robben after some good work with captain Philip Lahm found himself in the box and stabbed a shot at goal that was saved by Victor Valdes. After the initial flurry, Bayern were quite content to give the ball to Barcelona, but ensured that they didn't get much beyond the half-way line as they pressed and harried the Catalan side when on the ball.

And, after retrieving it, they used it to devastating effect by playing balls into the space left behind by Barca's full-backs - Alves and Jordi Alba as Robben and Franck Ribery were let loose on the visitors. Bayern looked threatening every time they went forward and were unlucky to be denied a penalty early on when Pique looked to have stuck his arm out to keep out a Lahm effort.


Bayern broke through in the 23rd minute from a corner, 1 of 8 corners that they earned in the first half. After Barca failed to effectively clear Ribery's delivery, the ball fell to Robben who put in an uncharacteristic right-footed cross that was met by the head of Dante to guide it to Mueller who scored with a diving header of his own.

Every time the ball was lifted into the box, Bayern looked capable of scoring with Barcelona looking susceptible to a long known weakness. Bayern created a few more good openings but couldn't muster a second goal and proceeded to half-time with a 1-0 lead.

Barcelona did not have a single shot on target in the first half with Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer hardly called into action. Bayern's defence and midfield did such an excellent job of shackling Barcelona, not allowing them any time on the ball, that they ensured the visitors created next to nothing with limited forward passing.

In the second half, Bayern came out firing, looking to pick up from where they left off and Gomez soon doubled their advantage. From another corner, Robben's delivery was headed across goal by Mueller, and Gomez lashed in a left-footed finish from close range as Barca were undone once again by a ball into the box. Gomez did look marginally offside though.

Two goals to the good, Bayern afforded to sit back a bit deeper and hand Barcelona some more possession. It was an exercise in futility for Tito Vilanova's side who could not get anything going against an organized and well-drilled Munich side. Messi ghosted through much of the game and even when he got the ball at his feet, he was met with swift tackles and challenges from the Bayern players. Javi Martinez and Bastian Schweinsteiger had a colossal game in the heart of that Bayern midfield.

By now Barcelona were growing frustrated and it increasingly looked like Bayern would score a third rather than the 'Blaugrana' snatching a goal back as Mueller, Ribery and Robben were swamping all over Barca. Robben scored on 73 minutes after one of his trademark mazy runs and went on to finish from a tight angle on the right to make it 3-0; he was helped by a rather generous screen by Mueller on Jordi Alba before the Dutchman composed a cool finish past Valdes.

The Allianz Arena was delirious by now and Barcelona weren't able to find any answers to the threat that Bayern posed downt he flanks with David Alaba and Lahm also joining in towards the latter stages. That produced a fourth on 82 minutes, when Alaba and Robben combined to devastating effect with the Austrian lashing in a devilish low cross that was turned in by Mueller for his second and to enlarge the scoreline to 4-0.

Frustration boiled over for some of the Barcelona players towards the end and Jordi Alba was lucky to get just a yellow as he threw the ball onto Robben's face in an unsportsmanlike gesture. He will miss the second leg at the Camp Nou.

Just like the game, Bayern Munich were headline makers through the day. They began the morning with the news that they have acquired the talented Mario Gotze from rivals Borussia Dortmund, and they ended the night with a performance that lit up the Allianz Arena as they put Barcelona to the sword in a 4-0 thrashing.

Jupp Heynckes before the game told reporters that they had a plan. He mentioned that it wasn't the same as the one against Juventus, but they did have a plan. Bayern executed their plan to perfection and looked like a team set to dominate the European scene for a few years to come. Heynckes and his men after tonight are well on the Road to Wembley.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH

Thomas Mueller/Arjen Robben - Mueller normally reserves his best for the big games and showed his class tonight with a superb performance. Bayern's leading scorer in the tournament bagged a brace and ran the Barca defence ragged with his well-timed runs and link play as the 2nd striker at times.

Arjen Robben has just gotten better as the tournament has progressed and never stopped running like an Energizer bunny. His forays down the right flank kept Alba pegged back and he was a constant thorn in Barcelona's flesh. Was involved in all the goals on the night and displayed great commitment to team ethic by even getting back to defend and sharing the ball well.