Barcelona’s
Lionel Messi struck twice and set up Neymar in the final 13 minutes as Pep
Guardiola’s return to the Camp Nou as Bayern Munich coach ended in a 3-0 defeat
in the first-leg of their Champions League semi-final.
On his
100th appearance in European football, Messi’s double moved him back ahead of
Cristiano Ronaldo as the all-time leading scorer in the Champions League and
Barca to the brink of their first final in four years.
Manuel
Neuer had kept Bayern in the game with a string of fine saves, but was helpless
as Messi drilled home the opener from the edge of the area in the 77th minute
and then delightfully chipped the German three minutes later.
Messi
then fed Neymar in stoppage time to roll past Neuer and hand Bayern an almost
impossible task in next week’s second-leg.
Guardiola
was given a warm reception by the home fans as he took his seat for the first
time in the away dugout, but his early tactical plan to play three at the back
nearly proved costly.
Bayern’s
intense pressing was forcing Barca to play long more than they are accustomed
to, but it nearly worked to perfection when Messi’s headed flick-on sent Luis
Suarez clear behind the Bayern defence after 12 minutes.
Neuer,
though, stood up brilliantly to divert the Uruguayan’s effort to safety with an
outstretched right leg.
Suarez
turned provider for the next opening as his low cross picked out Neymar only
for his goalbound effort to strike Rafinha and deflect behind.
The
visitors then had a huge chance of their own as Thomas Mueller picked out the
unmarked Robert Lewandowski, but the Polish international — who was playing
with a protective facemask after suffering a broken nose and cheekbone just
last week — sliced his effort wide.
A change
of system from Guardiola to a four at the back regained some measure of
control, but the pace of the game was still unrelenting.
Messi
bent an effort just wide after ghosting past three Bayern defenders, whilst
Suarez was also off target with an unmarked header from a corner.
At the
other end, Thiago Alcantara curled just wide on his return to the club where he
made his name.
However,
it was Neuer who came to Bayern’s rescue again six minutes before the break as
he spread himself to deny Dani Alves as he latched onto Andres Iniesta’s
through ball.
Bayern
started the second period the brighter, but it was once again Neuer who was the
busiest goalkeeper as handled a driven shot with Messi after a neat one-two
with Neymar.
The two
combined once more moments later but Neymar just couldn’t bring Messi’s lofted
pass under his control and Neuer galloped from his line to clear the danger.
However,
Messi was not so forgiving when offered room on the edge of the area for the
first time as he fired past Neuer at his near post 13 minutes from time.
Three
minutes later he produced an even more sublime finish as the Argentine received
Dani Alves’s pass and left Jerome Boateng stumbling to the ground before
dinking the ball over the advancing Neuer on his weaker right foot.
Suarez
should have made it 3-0 moments later when he raced onto Neymar’s through ball
but blazed wildly over.
Yet,
Neymar was cooler when bearing down on Neuer in stoppage time from Messi’s pass
as he this time found the back of the net and all but secured Barca’s passage
to the final in Berlin early next month.
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