![]() ![]() Photo by Michael Regan / UEFA / Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Imagesīayern and Barcelona are two clubs that share the same initials, yet they could not be more different in how the clubs are run, and how that has impacted the clubs’ results. Bottom line, Bayern are looking good and strong at the moment, and are eagerly stepping into a new era. The following season, Bayern merrily continued on their way and won their first ever sextuple, and after that, although they faltered slightly in the Champions League, they continued their domestic dominance by becoming the first ever team in Europe’s top five leagues to win ten consecutive league titles. If that wasn’t enough, it was the first ever game in Champions League tournament history where eight goals had been scored in a single match.īayern never looked back after that triumph against Barcelona, dispatching Olympique Lyon and Paris Saint-Germain to win their second continental treble. ![]() It was also the first time in 69 years that Barcelona had lost by six goals, and the first time in 25 that they had lost by five or more. It was the first time that Barcelona had conceded eight goals in 74 years. Photo by Manu Fernandez/Pool via Getty ImagesĪnd so it ended. The 7-2 scoreline was enough to make headlines all over the sporting world, but Coutinho wasn’t done and tapped in another goal in the final minutes. Just three minutes after that, Coutinho grabbed a goal of his own, assisted by the ever-productive Müller. About eight minutes later, he got his answer when the Brazilian assisted Lewandowski for Bayern’s sixth.īut the Coutinho show was just beginning. In the closing stages, Hansi Flick decided to sub on Barcelona loanee Philippe Coutinho to see just how much damage he could do to his parent club. Unfortunately for the hapless Catalans, there was still half an hour to go, and Bayern weren’t done with them yet. All they could do now was wait for the final whistle. Photo by Manu Fernandez/Pool via Getty Images However, that tiny bit of pride was soon blown away by Alphonso Davies, who cruised past the entire Barcelona defense to set up Kimmich and restore Bayern’s three goal advantage. ![]() Even the great Lionel Messi was seen staring at the floor, shell-shocked, lost for words, at halftime.īarcelona did manage to salvage a tiny bit of pride when Luis Suarez scored a consolation about ten minutes after the restart. Bayern had one and a half feet in the semifinals after only 45 minutes. The Bavarians then effectively put the game to bed after two pinpoint crosses from Perišić and Joshua Kimmich found Müller, who slotted in at the near post. ![]() Photo by Michael Regan - UEFA/UEFA via Getty ImagesĪ lovely connection between Barcelona alum Thiago and Leon Goretzka resulted in Serge Gnabry finding the back of the net to make it three for Bayern. Bayern, meanwhile, woke up soon enough and took the lead once more when Ivan Perišić smashed in a tight shot. Barcelona soon got back into the game with an own goal from David Alaba, and the Catalans created a flurry of half chances afterwards, all to no avail. Bayern may as well have worn their red home kit, though, since Barcelona would only be seeing red after 90 minutes.īarely three minutes had gone when Thomas Müller opened the scoring, slicing the ball into the bottom corner after a one-two with Robert Lewandowski. Photo by Michael Regan - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Imagesīarcelona wore their god awful blue and red checkerboard kit, while Bayern suited up in their new white strip. Well, they got one, but probably not in the way they expected. Which mega club would go one step further in the competition? A true clash of the titans awaited, and fans expected a showdown for the ages. Instead of the usual home-and-away format, the eight remaining teams in the competition would gather in Lisbon and play a one-off mini tournament to see who would be crowned champions of Europe.įate had it that the only remaining clubs who had won the Champions League before, Bayern Munich and FC Barcelona, would be tied together in the bracket, meaning only one team would survive. But this particular year, because of a global pandemic, a series of delays and a revamped format meant that mid-August was host to the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals. Normally, a time that football would be just coming back to life for a new season. ‘Twas a warm August night in Lisbon, Portugal, two years ago. ![]()
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