August 14, 2020. Lisbon. An empty Estádio da Luz, echoing with every pass and shout, became the stage for one of the most brutal nights in European football history.
The world was still adjusting to football without fans due to COVID-19, but Bayern Munich made sure nobody forgot this quarter-final in a hurry.
Within the first seven minutes, Thomas Muller had already scored and Barcelona had conceded an own goal through David Alaba.
Though David Alaba’s mishap briefly brought the score level, Bayern’s relentless press and lightning attacks tore the Spanish giants apart.
By halftime, it was already 4–1, Muller grabbing another, with Ivan Perišić and Serge Gnabry also on the scoresheet.
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Barcelona, with Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, and Gerard Piqué still in the ranks, looked stunned. When Suárez pulled one back to make it 4–2, hope flickered, but it didn’t last.
Alphonso Davies’ sensational solo run set up Joshua Kimmich for the fifth, Robert Lewandowski nodded in the sixth, and then Philippe Coutinho, on loan from Barca, twisted the knife with two late goals against his parent club.
The final whistle confirmed an 8–2 demolition, the heaviest defeat in Barcelona’s Champions League history. For Bayern, it was a ruthless statement en route to lifting the trophy.
For Barca, it triggered a period of soul-searching, departures, and a painful rebuild.
Watch highlights of the game below:
FKA/JE
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