After the final whistle, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge still couldn't quite believe it: "I have never experienced an evening like this - and I've been here for a long time," said the CEO after FC Bayern swept away FC Barcelona in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final. "4-0 against the best team in the world, it's like a dream," added Rummenigge.
What the spectators saw was like a changing of the guard. "Barcelona have dominated Europe for the past five years," said Arjen Robben, scorer of the third goal. But the Munich side neutralised the Catalans' strong, Lionel Messi-led attack and opened the door to the May 2013 final at Wembley with refreshing attacking football.
25th minute: Müller with the deserved lead
From the start, the game had only one direction: Robben had a chance for the early lead (2nd minute) and Bayern pressurised Barça in their own half. In the 25th minute the deadlock was broken: Dante rose to the cross from the Dutchman and it dropped to Thomas Müller, who headed over the line from close range.
49th minute: Gomez with the record goal
Barcelona did not show much in response, and Bayern clearly meant business. This time it was Müller who provided the assist for Mario Gomez from a Robben corner (49). It was going to be a night to remember, not least for Gomez who entered the history books. With his 23rd Champions League goal in the FCB jersey, he became the most successful Bayern goalscorer to date in the competition.
73rd minute: Unusual solo goal for Robben
The home side failed to capitalise on a few chances but then Robben left the Barça defence in his wake. The Dutchman left opponent Jordi Alba stranded, but he didn’t cut inside - as he does so often - instead running towards the by-ine and cheekily pushing past Víctor Valdés from a tight angle for the third goal. Simply wonderful!
77th minute: Müller scores another
The final act of this magical Champions League night was reserved for Müller. The forward had earlier indicated that he wanted to be replaced after a collision with keeper Valdés, but Jupp Heynckes felt the Bavarian still had something to give - and the FCB coach was right: in the 77th minute, Müller scored the fourth and final goal with the assist from David Alaba.
The party begins after the final whistle
After the game ended, the Munich team celebrated their storming display with the fans in the Allianz Arena. The international press praised Bayern heavily after this unforgettable performance: "Bayern Munich are possibly the best team in Europe at the moment," wrote the Spanish daily El Mundo the next morning.
Here are FC Bayern’s most legendary knockout games of 2011-2020:
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