Barcelona 3 Bayern Munich 0
This spectacular first leg, at first tight and dramatic with missed chances, then scoreless for 77 minutes, was eventually dominated by the magnetic Messi
Early on, when keeper Ter Stegen’s kick was headed forward by Messi from the right, Suarez took the ball into the box one-on-one against the giant keeper Manuel Neuer, who saved with his giant leg.
A moment of high drama, a priceless chance missed.
At the other end Muller cut an inviting ball back across the six-yard box to Robert Lewandowski but the masked Pole couldn’t connect properly.
First 15 minutes, Guardiola’s tactics left co-commentator Gary Neville gobsmacked.
A defender reared on good habits, Neville covered balls that beat his centrebacks, and was always being covered by Beckham. Any serious defender always covers but always needs cover himself.
Here, as 95,000 fans watched this pulsating contest, all that’s gone out the window as the top German team has gone to the Nou Camp and played three-v-three. No cover!
3 v 3 against Messi, Suarez and Neymar?
And it was man-to-man marking all over the pitch, like basketball.
HOW RADICAL WAS THAT?
As Barca were stuttering, I was shouting, “Come on, guys! I’ve got money on this!”
Unable to believe the audacity of Guardiola’s tactics, Gary Neville was shouting, “I’ve never seen this!”
After about 20, Pep switched to a back four, using Rafinha at right back, his normal position, and by then I had doubts, thinking, “Is Messi firing at 105% tonight?”
DIDN’T LOOK LIKE IT.
After 26, a Jordi Alba cross was cleared for a corner which Suarez headed over the bar. Barca were too direct, too hectic at times, too uptight, while Bayern’s ball-hunting was fierce and dedicated.
Thiago hit a curler two yards wide, Rakitic blasted a shot wide of the near post.
After that I was worried and thinking, “I’ll take a 1-0 now.”
It was 0-0 at half-time and a very intense contest.
Then Messi fired a shot into Neuer’s body in 58, Neuer came out to save one-one-one as Neymar raced through, then Neymar fired a shot past Lahm but high over Neuer, Pique was booked for a foul, Neymar for dissent.
Having never really seen Barca like this, I thought back to Stevenage, writing my first match reports for the local paper, about the North Herts Under-16 League, and what the some of our players used to say: you can only play as well as you’re allowed to play.
Barcelona were only playing as well as Bayern Munich allowed them to play. After 75 minutes the score was still 0-0.
Was it a mind-game the day before? When Guardiola said people had tried 10,000 ways to stop Lionel Messi but couldn’t because he was unstoppable. Pep emphasised that in his press conference. He made a point of saying, twice, said that Messi was unstoppable.
And yet, by saying that, Pep was putting even more pressure on Messi, who had never scored in a Champions League semi-final.
In 77, Dani Alves zoomed into a sharp interception high up the field and his short pass found Messi, who fired a beautifully bouncing shot that flew under Neuer’s left arm.
WHAT A GOAL!
Three minutes later Rakitic passed to Messi and the genius produced one of his wriggle-and-dink specials. Into the box against big Boateng, sat him down with a bump, and dinked a sublime shot into the far corner for 2-0 in 80 minutes.
As Bayern desperately and stupidly tried to get a goal back in 90+4, Barcelona regained possession. Luis Suarez was fouled in centre circle, the ball went loose, Messi released Neymar, who raced straight at Neuer before slotting close to the giant’s legs.
We know that the obsessional Guardiola is a serial winner. In his four seasons as Barcelona coach he won 14 trophies, including two Champions Leagues, but Berlin looks beyond him now.
Really hope the Final is Juventus v Barcelona.
Chiellini will testify that there is nobody in Serie A who is half as good as Messi, and I’m sure the he’d rather be bitten by Suarez again than play against the Unstoppable One.
After a crazy day of interruptions, we just got back from voting.
They still don’t have a box below the names of the candidates that signals: NONE OF THE ABOVE.
Being unhappy with the listed candidates, I wanted to vote for Lionel Messi.
Prediction: another election in October.