AP, Lisbon :
Bayern Munich inflicted on Barcelona the most humiliating defeat of the Lionel Messi era and among the worst in team history by 8-2 to reach the Champions League semifinals on Friday.
Bayern’s stunning start to the standout quarterfinal between the only past champions in the last eight saw Thomas Müller score twice and Ivan Perišic and Serge Gnabry add on in the first half hour.
Barcelona conceded eight for the first time since 1946 after Joshua Kimmich, Robert Lewandowski and Philippe Coutinho (twice) piled on in the second half.
Barcelona tallied only seven shots on target in the whole game, getting on the board with an own-goal by David Alaba in the first half and through Luis Suárez in the second.
“It’s a disastrous result. An embarrassment,” Barcelona defender Gerard Piqué said. “This, today, is unacceptable.”
Seeking its first title since 2013, Bayern will next face either Manchester City or Lyon, who meet on Saturday in the last quarterfinal.
Paris Saint-Germain and Leipzig are in the other semifinal of the mini-tournament being staged without fans in Lisbon amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“Brutal,” Kimmich said. “It’s hard to comprehend beating Barcelona 8-2. We were so focused from the first minute, we wanted to get forward with intent. An incredible result in the end, but we’re not done yet.”
Bayern’s biggest victory in Champions League history kept alive its quest for a sixth title, which would move it ahead of Barcelona. The German club has the most wins against Barcelona in the tournament’s history.
“We knew that if we put them under pressure, we would get chances,” Bayern coach Hansi Flick said. “We have such quality and intensity in this team, now we need to recharge and focus on the next game, where we start again from zero.”
The humbling loss ended a forgettable season for Barcelona, one that included a coaching change and public disputes between players and team officials. It is the first time since 2008 the club has finished a season without a significant title. It hasn’t lifted the European trophy since 2015.
