The stage in Lisbon was set for a mouthwatering clash that didn’t disappoint through a goal-laden affair, as Bayern Munich thrashed Barcelona without mercy to keep their treble dream alive.
Hansi Flick’s side were incredible and deservedly book a place in the semi-finals. They out-played, out-manoeuvred, and out-classed a sluggish Barcelona on Friday night.
In fact, it took just four minutes for them to go in front.
Thomas Muller got the opener. However, their lead only lasted three minutes when Alaba accidentally fed the ball into his own net.
Both sides continued to pressure each other until Ivan Perisic restored Bayern’s lead in the 21st-minute.
Barcelona made a few feeble attempts to respond only for Serge Gnabry to double Bayern’s advantage six minutes later by shrugging off Lenglet before firing the ball into the net. A rampant Bayern then added a fourth on the half-hour mark through Muller, who poked his second in at the near post.
Luis Suarez did respond with a neat finish to restore a glimmer of hope for Barcelona in the second half. But it proved to nothing more than a false dawn.
Joshua Kimmich capitalized on a brilliant delivery from Alphonso Davies to restore Bayern’s three-goal lead with a side -foot finish just after the hour-mark.
Of course, Robert Lewandowski got in on the act by heading in his 14th Champions League goal of the season. Then, just to pour more salt into Barca’s wounds, Philippe Coutinho scored.
The Brazilian substitute, on loan from Camp Nou, then taunted his parent club again by scoring two goals in the final five minutes of normal time to seal a humiliating 8-2 defeat.
Now Bayern will prepare for either Manchester City or Lyon in the semi-finals knowing that chances of a first treble are more alive than ever.
