Three Takeaways as Bayern Munich record historic win against Barcelona

Takeaways from Bayern Munich’s historic win against Barcelona.

It was expected to be a close game as two heavyweights clash in the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Friday in Lisbon. However, Bayern Munich had completely different plans. At Estadio Da Luz, the whole world witnessed one of the most historic European night as Bayern scored eight past hapless Barcelona side.

The game was set to frantic as Die Roten opened the scoring in the third minute. Barcelona responded strongly and enjoyed a great ten-minute spell before everything fell apart. Before one-third of the game was, Die Roten had already sealed the game by scoring four goals.

Rekordmeister showed no mercy in the second half as they looked like scoring every time they motored in the final third. The players were hungry to score more goals and send a statement to all teams left in the competition. They managed to do it by recording their biggest win in a single knockout game.

Flick will have a great selection headache since substitute Philippe Coutinho came on made a big impact on the game. There was so much to like about Die Roten’s performance on Friday. Here are key takeaways from the game that will send shivers across Europe.

Relentless pressing from Bayern Munich

The performance from Die Roten on Friday was reminiscent of Jupp Heynckes’ team in 2013. Die Roten meant business from the first minute as they set the tone of the game by pressing aggressively. Till the final whistle, the team looked no signs of slowing down with their press.

The vigorous press forced errors in Barcelona’s defense. Marc Ter Stegen was getting his passes wrong as Die Roten were cutting the passing lane. The second goal was a by-product of Die Roten’s effective pressing. Serge Gnabry managed to win the ball just around the box, and then released Ivan Perisic on the left flank. The Croatian hammered the ball past Ter Stegen to restore Bayern’s lead.

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Flick made changes to the style of play as soon as he got the reins of the first team in November. Die Roten looks to dominate opponents from the kick-off and win the ball higher up the pitch to create more chances. It is no surprise that they have been scoring goals for fun since the restart as the team has completed bought into Flick’s style of play.

It is a testament to the fitness of the players that they manage to keep the intensity for the full 90 minutes. There are few weaknesses in the team when they maintain a high line of defense. However, they will get more rewards rather than losses if they continue to maintain this organized high pressing.

Bayern Munich should try once more to convince Thiago

Big games are often decided by midfield battles. Barcelona decided to outnumber Die Roten in the center of the park by opting for four-man midfield. However, the German champions were able to win this battle, courtesy of a complete performance from Thiago Alcantara.

The Spaniard was at his best against Barcelona in the number six position. He sat deep and dictated the tempo of the game with the help of his expansive passing range. His effortless diagonal balls helped Die Roten to switch play after creating an overload on one flank.

Thiago was also able to help Bayern to get out of Barcelona’s press through his astute dribbling skills. He set the tone of the game for Die Roten. There are some talented midfielders in the current squad at Bayern, but there is no one similar to Thiago’s profile.

On the back of this big performance against Barcelona, Die Roten should try one last time to convince Thiago to extend his contract. The Spaniard wants to experience a new adventure, but his departure will be a big blow for Rekordmeister. He is a one of a kind midfielder in Europe right now, so extra efforts should be taken to keep him at the club beyond this summer.

Ivan Perisic playing for his future at Bayern Munich

The Bavarian faithful were surprised when teamsheets came out last night. Kingsley Coman was declared fit, but Flick decided to stick with Ivan Perisic in the lineup. The Croatian delivered a good performance against Chelsea last weekend, finding the back of the net on one occasion.

Perisic justified his selection by delivering a solid performance against Barcelona. The Croatian international held the width on the left flank and consistently stretched Barcelona’s defense. Most importantly, Perisic scored the second goal by drilling the ball past Ter Stegen. He could have scored more as he found himself in good scoring positions on numerous occasions.

Earlier this week, Flick admitted that he would ideally like to have four wingers in the squad next season. They currently have three players after signing Leroy Sane from Manchester City. Perisic’s current form could help in convincing the club to take up the option of signing him permanently.

Perisic has endured a frustrating campaign, but he can become an important squad player that can operate in numerous positions. He also has the knack of scoring goals in big games. If he continues to impress in the remaining Champions League campaign, then he could end up earning a permanent move to Bavaria.