Here’s what happened on Tuesday in the UEFA Champions League, in case you missed it…
The results
• Watch match highlights: FC Barcelona 2, Paris Saint-Germain 0 || Bayern Munich 6, FC Porto 1
• Read match reports: PSG no match for Barca at Camp Nou || Bayern thumps Porto in 2nd leg‘
The main talking points
Bayern makes a statement: Suggestions about Bayern Munich’s demise proved to be a gross exaggeration. Last week’s 3-1 loss to Porto led to widespread questioning of Bayern’s European credentials and whether or not Pep Guardiola’s mighty influence in Bavaria was on the wane. Then team doctor Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt, who had been with Bayern since 1977, and his staff quit because they felt they were blamed for the defeat to Porto. And then more eyebrows were raised when club legend Franz Beckenbauer publically rebuked Bayern for their pathetic showing in Portugal, easily their worst performance under Guardiola. Bayern was in turmoil.
Or was it? The Germans made an emphatic statement on Tuesday with their 6-1 thrashing of Porto, with five of their goals coming in the opening 40 minutes. Even without several key starters missing through injury, Bayern showed it still has the quality, depth and class to win this competition. Nobody should doubt them again—the first leg loss was an aberration, not a sign of things to come. If you can believe it, Tuesday’s final score rather flattered Porto—this game looked like it would be another 7-2 massacre like we saw at last summer’s World Cup before Bayern took their foot off the pedal in the second half.
The key to victory for the Germans? Like in the first leg when Proto stormed out to a 2-0 lead after 10 minutes, a quick start by Bayern paved the way for a historic win. Guardiola’s side swarmed and pressed Porto high up the field, making it uncomfortable for the visitors while in possession right from the start. This was going to be long night for Porto, and so it came to pass, as Bayern sustained their early pressure—the Germans completed 85 attacking passes in the final third through the first 45 minutes, compared to nine for Porto.
Whither thou, PSG: What to make of yet another European exit for the kingpins of France? Manager Laurent Blanc had the excuse of missing injury players and the suspension of Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the first leg, but what about the return match at the Camp Nou? What explanation could he offer up, considering Barca was in second gear and coasted this night?
PSG’s lax attitude was in full view on the first goal in the 14th minute when Andres Ineista and Neymar teamed up to devastating effect. Iniesta went on a probing run down the middle, skipping past three PSG challengers in the process, before laying off a pass for Neymar to slot home. Breathless stuff, but Iniesta could have been stopped in his tracks had Edinson Cavani attempted a tackle on the Barcelona man, instead of lamely throwing his leg out. Then more slack defending when Neymar headed home for his second goal off a cross from the flanks, the Brazilian being allowed to ghost into the box while David Luiz was caught ball watching.
PSG did well to get past Chelsea in the previous round. But the French side relied on a large amount of fortune to dump the Blues out of the competition. Their luck ran out against Barca, who showed they are on another level—and that PSG is nowhere close to that level.
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Goal of the day
Save of the day
In the 10th minute, just before the Bayern onslaught began, Thomas Müller fired a low, driving shot from an angle that forced a fine save from Porto’s Fabiano, who did very well to get down so quickly.
Best moment of the day
Tweet of the day
Six pack of stats
• Barcelona’s Neymar has scored in all four Champions League appearances against Paris Saint-Germain.
• Tuesday marked the fifth time a team scored five or more goals in the first half of a Champions League match. Bayern has done it three times.
• Neymar has scored more goals (five) against Paris Saint-Germain than any other player in Champions League history.
• Thomas Müller is now the top-scoring German in Champions League history with 27 goals (one more than Mario Gomez).
• Bayern Munich and Barcelona have now made up 10 of last 24 Champions League semifinal places, including this season. 2011 and 2014 are the only seasons in last six not to have both teams in the semis.
• Porto’s Jackson Martinez is the first player to score in both matches of a knockout stage against Bayern since Getafe’s Cosmin Contra in the 2007-08 UEFA Cup.
• Stats courtesy of Opta
Burning question
3 stars
1) Thomas Müller: Scored a goal and set up another one, and was at the heart of a rampant Bayern attack that shredded Porto.
2) Robert Lewandowski: Two goals for the Bayern striker, and he could have had a third—he hit the post off a rebound attempt.
3) Neymar: Bagged a brace against a brittle PSG defence in sealing Barca’s passage to the semifinals.
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