Bayern Munich players delivered historic performances against Barcelona.
Manager Rating
Hansi Flick — 9/10
Hansi Flick got everything right for Bayern Munich in this game. His decision to stick with Ivan Perisic was rewarded as the Croatian forward scored the second goal and created all kinds of problems for Barcelona’s defense. The substitutes were spot on, and most importantly, the press from the whole team was organized and effective. It was Flick’s best game since taking over the role in November.
Player Ratings
GK, Manuel Neuer — 7.5/10
After the first ten minutes, it was expected that Manuel Neuer would have a busy night. However, as the game went on, Bayern just strengthened their hold on the game. The German goalkeeper had to contribute to the build-up play rather than making saves. His distribution was top class, making the right decisions with short and long passes. The German international was hardly at fault for the two goals Die Roten conceded.
DEF, Joshua Kimmich — 8.5/10
Flick can give Benjamin Pavard an ample amount of time to recover after witnessing the performance of Joshua Kimmich on Friday. The German has rarely disappointed in the right-back position, and Friday was no different. He patrolled on the right flank successfully, joining up the attack consistently and delivering dangerous crosses in the box. His efforts were rewarded with a goal and assist.
DEF, Jerome Boateng — 7.5/10
Die Roten were all over the place defensively in the first quarter of the game. Jerome Boateng was struggling when the team was maintaining a high line of defense. He had to make last-ditch blocks to save the team, but his positioning was poor in the build-up to those big chances. Luis Suarez sold him for a dummy in the second half to score Barcelona’s second goal. Overall, it was a decent performance from Boateng, but he has to do much better in the semi-finals.
DEF, David Alaba — 7/10
Similar to Boateng, Alaba also struggled defensively in the first quarter of the game. He scored the unfortunate own goal while trying to clear a cross from Jordi Alaba. The Austrian defender was also poor positionally during that ten-minute period when Barcelona were dominating, but he improved as the game went on. Alaba will have to step up in semi-finals as Die Roten will not get away with such lapses again.
DEF, Alphonso Davies — 9/10
There was a lot of talk ahead of the game regarding the battle between Lionel Messi and Alphonso Davies. The teenager did manage to keep the Argentine forward quiet, but he did a lot of damage to Barcelona in the final third. Davies produced a brilliant piece of skill to get past Nelson Semedo to set up Kimmich for the fifth goal. The teenager was a threat on the left-flank throughout the game. Importantly, he was resolute defensively by winning most of the aerial and ground duels.
Midfield domination by Bayern Munich
MID, Thiago Alcantara — 9/10
Flick decided to continue with Thiago in the holding midfield role. Against his former side, Thiago showed what they were missing. The Spaniard dictated the tempo of the game with his expansive passing, switching the play effortlessly by playing long diagonal passes. Whenever Barcelona tried to press aggressively in the final third, Thiago was beating the press through his dribbling and cute feints. As Die Roten went for the kill, Thiago got forward to support the attack and played some sublime passes in the box. His chip pass in the build-up of Coutinho’s second goal was a thing of beauty. It was a midfield masterclass from Thiago.
MID, Leon Goretzka — 9/10
Along with Thiago, Leon Goretzka also excelled against the Spanish side. The German midfielder was the aggressive midfielder in the setup, initiating the press from the center of the park. Goretzka was also making dangerous runs in the final third to unsettle Barcelona’s defense. His physical prowess helped Die Roten to win duels in the midfield. The German is also showing improvement with his passing range as he kept things ticking the center of the pitch. His delicate chip to set Gnabry free for the third goal was delightful. An action-packed performance from Goretzka.
Bayern Munich forwards shine against Barcelona
FWD, Serge Gnabry — 8.5/10
Serge Gnabry continued his fine form in the Champions League on Friday. The German forward was relentless with pressing and contributed heavily to two goals. He won the ball in the midfield to set up Perisic for the second goal. Few minutes later, he made a darting run in the box and hammered the ball past Marc Ter Stegen to double Die Roten’s lead in the game. The German forward was busy in the final third throughout the game.
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FWD, Thomas Muller — 9.5/10
In big games, big players always step up. Thomas Muller has been doing this for years, and he did it again on Friday. The German forward delivered a brilliant performance against Barcelona. He opened the scoring by a fierce drive past Ter Stegen in the third minute. Muller showed striker’s instinct to tap in Kimmich’s cross in the 30th minute, and eventually, set up Coutinho’s first goal in the final stages of the game. The German forward was a nuisance for Barcelona’s defense throughout the 90 minutes. He pressed aggressively and won the ball in dangerous situations. His work ethic was second to none as he grabbed the man of the match award after the full-time whistle.
FWD, Ivan Perisic — 8.5/10
Perisic’s name is the starting XI was surprising since Kingsley Coman was completely fit. However, the performance from the Croatian justified his selection ahead of Coman. The Croatian worked hard on the left-flank as he kept on isolating Barcelona’s full-back and central defender. Since he was stretching the defense, space was created for other Bayern players to exploit. He scored a terrific goal in the first half, finding himself on the scoresheet for the second consecutive game.
Inspiring substitute for Bayern Munich
ST, Robert Lewandowski — 9/10
In the past, Lewandowski has been criticized for not delivering against big European sides. However, this was not the case on Friday. The Polish striker was at his best against Barcelona. He was leading the line brilliantly by holding up the play and winning every duel with Gerrard Pique. The Polish striker was stretching the defense with his clever runs and brilliant link-up play. He set up Muller for the first goal with smart hold up play and eventually got his goal in the 80th minute. A complete number nine performance from the best forward in Europe.
Substitutes
FWD, Kingsley Coman — 6.5/10
Coman came on for Perisic after the hour mark as Die Roten looked to pile on the misery for the Spanish side. He had the chance to score from his first touch, but his shot was blocked by Alba. The French winger got into promising positions, causing problems to Blaugrana’s defense.
DEF, Niklas Sule — 6.5/10
Sule got more minutes under his belt on Friday as he came on for the final 15 minutes of the game for Jerome Boateng. He was not troubled defensively during his time on the pitch as Bayern had effectively won the game by that time.
FWD, Philippe Coutinho — 9/10
Coutinho looked a man on the mission to prove his parent club wrong. The Brazilian had an inspiring cameo, scoring twice and setting up Lewandowski for the sixth goal. Coutinho occupied good positions in the final third during his brief stay on the pitch. His good performance bodes well for Die Roten for upcoming semi-finals against Manchester City/Lyon.
MID, Corentin Tolisso — N/A
Tolisso got few minutes under his belt late in the second half, but he hardly had any time to make an impact.
DEF, Lucas Hernandez — N/A
The French defender came on late in the game for Davies as Die Roten had already sealed the game.