8-2 against Barcelona (2020)

Lore & Background

Bayern and Barcelona had met in four knockout ties since 2008–09 UEFA Champions League, which yielded 26 goals prior to this game. Each time the eventual winner of the Bayern-Barcelona knockout tie went on not only to win the UEFA Champions League, but also complete the continental treble, which also occurred in 2009, 2013 and 2015. Barcelona won 5–1 on aggregate in the quarter-finals of 2008–09 edition. The semi-finals of the 2012–13 competition saw Arjen Robben and Thomas Müller inspire Bayern to a 7–0 aggregate victory, to become the biggest win of the semi-finals on aggregate. The 2014–15 UEFA Champions League semi-finals saw Lionel Messi and Neymar as the key players in a 5–3 aggregate win over Bayern.

In Their Own Story

The tunnel at Lisbon was silent, save for the rhythmic thud of boots on concrete. Hansi Flick looked calm, his eyes fixed on the pitch where the lights cut through the humid Portuguese night. As the teams emerged, there was no pre-match tension, only a strange, heavy anticipation. When Lewandowski fired home in the third minute, the silence broke into a roar from the few hundred traveling Bayern fans. Serge Gnabry scored again, and then Coman. The Barcelona players looked at each other in confusion, their training ground drills failing to match the speed of this German machine. By the time Davies launched his thunderous run down the left, it was no longer a football match; it was a historical event unfolding in real-time.

Reader's Guide

In the opening 10 minutes, Thomas Müller fired Bayern Munich ahead following a one-two with Robert Lewandowski. Shortly after, David Alaba sliced a cross from Jordi Alba into his own net to level the scores. Ivan Perišić kicked in a deflected shot in the 21st minute for Bayern, fed by a pass from Serge Gnabry. Gnabry then scored with a half volley in the 27th minute, and Müller quickly added the fourth four minutes later from a cross by Joshua Kimmich. In the 57th minute, a neat turn and finish from the centre of the box by Suárez gave Barcelona hope, but Kimmich's side-footed finish in the 63rd minute made the scoreline 5–2. Bayern scored three goals in the closing 10 minutes: Lewandowski headed his 14th goal of the campaign in the 82nd minute, then Philippe Coutinho made the scoreline 8–2 with two goals in the 85th and 89th minutes.

Did You Know?

• Bayern Munich scored eight goals, the most a side had scored in a European Cup knockout match since Real Madrid defeated FC Swarovski Tirol 9–1 in the last 16 tie in 1990.
• Robert Lewandowski became the first player to score in eight or more consecutive UEFA Champions League matches since Cristiano Ronaldo in April 2018.
• Bayern's coach Hansi Flick became only the third manager in Champions League history to win his first six matches in charge, after Fabio Capello in 1992–93 and Luis Fernández in 1994–95.
• Barcelona suffered their heaviest loss in 69 years; this was the first time they had conceded more than five goals in a UEFA Champions League game.