There was´nt the intensity or seeming "spirit" tonight on the field as shown by Real Madrid yesterday in attempting to turnaround their match against the Germans Dortmund, which they nearly did had they been more fortunate. Many "cules" will be disappointed with their team tonight which was again well beaten by a superior Bayern Munich.
The big news accorded 45 minutes before the kick-off when Barcelona announced their starting 11 without their star Lionel Messi. The Argentine started on the bench & stayed there all match. Obviously the star was injured & has not recovered 100% from his muscle problem. Some are questioning if he should have played at all against Athletic Club last weekend in Liga, while others speculate he may have fallen again in the morning light training session. The fact is that his non-presence was a serious blow to Barça especially in the moral department & a lift to Bayern when they found out that Messi would not play. The task of 4 or 5 goals must have looked more difficult if it was´nt already with an apparent OK Lionel Messi.
Bayern Munich was nothing like Borussia Dortmund last night against Real Madrid. They were not daunted at all & were very solid in defence with deadly counter-attacks the grained down Barcelona as they moved forward to look for goals. The Bayern Munich players Javi Martinez, Franck Ribery, Robben & Muller were again outstanding & pivotal in their positions.
After 45 minutes still 0 - 0 it was obvious that the "turnaround" - "the miracle" was further away than at the start & much more difficult than originally hoped.
The Bayern Munich confidence grew as Barça lessen in their inner hopes. In the 49th min Robben scored a individually worked goal that felt like a knock-out blow to Barça. If 5 goals was an odyssey, 6 now looked unreachable & fairy-tail stuff. The punishment was to keep rolling in with a second Bayern goal that was an own goal from Pique in the 72 nd & the final nail in the Barça coffin in the 79th min when Muller headed a third from a Ribery cross.
Smashing performance tonight from the Germans & overriding in the two legs.
FC Barcelona can shut the season with the Spanish Liga title, but they will not be happy with the way they made their exit from this Champions League. Some self examination will be needed, some replies to the question "are they Messi dependent" & some in-house cleaning along with signings are needed.
From a personal perspective I did not feel the "inner belief" that a turnaround would occur by the Barça players as against yesterdays match by Real Madrid. Perhaps the news of Messi not being able to play shook the Barça dressing room & moral.
Concluding, disappointing tonight for Spanish Football which may have suffered a shift in the "balance of power" towards German Football, & perhaps the end of a FC Barcelona Team that ruled "World Football" in such crushing fashion. Some at Barcelona would have remembered ex-Coach Josep Guardiola tonight, person taking over Bayern Munich next season as their new Coach. Ironic.
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