Barcelonahit three times in the last 13 minutes of the match, as a Lionel Messi’sthree-minute salvo and Neymar’s goal in the 90th minute completed aconvincing rout in their Champions League first leg tie at home.
TheGermans’ boss Pep Guardiola, who returned to the Nou Camp for the first timesince leaving Barca in 2012, demanded his side to play strongly in defence; theLos Cules’ star attacking trio of Luis Suarez, Messi and Neymar were man-markedin the opening fifteen minutes and their threat was neutralised; the tacticleft the hosts goalless in the first – half.
ButBarca managed to get a foothold in the game, in a match that burst into life atthe end; with 13 minutes left to play, Messi, rated by some in the sport as the greatest of all time, fired in ashot at the floundering World Cup winning keeper Manuel Neuer’s near post. Three minutes later, the Argentine clipped theball over the German keeper again, for his second - a record-breaking 77thgoal in the competition; he turned the German international defender JeromeBoateng inside out in the box and left him on the floor, after a swiftcounter-attack.
Guardiolapushed his team forward in search of an away goal but they were punished deepinto stoppage time, as Neymar broke away at the death and calmly slotted home toeffectively end the tie; a cruel conclusion for the Germans, who weretactically excellent, until the last stages of the match.
Bayernwere depleted, missing long-term injury absentees Frank Ribery and ArjenRobben’s attacking threat on the flanks. If they are to win in the second leg at the Allianz Arena in Berlin next Wednesday, then they will need the same fighting spirit thatthey showed when they overturned their 3-1 deficit against Porto, to win 7-4 onaggregate in the quarter-finals.
The Germans boss, who played for Barca from 1990till 2001, and was their manager from 2008 till 2012, will surely come up with atactic which would target the ultra - dynamic Catalans’ attacking line.
