Pep Guardiola was right - Lionel Messi is "unstoppable"
Guardiola's homecoming to the Camp Nou proved a deeply painful one and his nemesis was a deeply familiar one.
Just after Bayern Munich had posted a tweet about "Neuer the wall'', Messi beat the keeper with two good strikes, the second an absolute gem, the ball lifted over Neuer after Jerome Boateng had been left closely surveying the turf. Helped by Messi, Neymar then added a third, deepening Guardiola's woe.
It took something special to beat a keeper as good as Neuer, and break down a team as well organised as Guardiola's Bayern. But Messi is amongst the very greatest players of all time, up with Pele and Diego Maradona. Great players do great things; they change games, writing headlines and history. Guardiola will need all his own revered powers to turn this around next week.
FC Barcelona are on the brink of reaching their eighth European Cup showpiece after finally breaking FC Bayern München's resistance in the last 13 minutes of this UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg, Lionel Messi scoring two goals before creating a late third for Neymar.
In a pulsating first half, Barcelona largely held the upper hand and Bayern had cause to be grateful to goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who saved one-on-ones from Luis Suárez and Daniel Alves to keep the score blank at the break. Robert Lewandowski had spurned an equally presentable opening for the visitors, yet just as it was starting to look like they would escape unscathed, Messi – making his 100th European appearance – eventually found a way through 13 minutes from time. Three minutes later his sublime control and a delicate chip made it 2-0 before the No10's added-time pass set Neymar clear to roll in a third.
Josep Guardiola was making his first return to the Camp Nou in the opposition ranks, and opted to play three at the back, marking man for man from the off. The policy nearly backfired as Suárez latched on to Messi's flick-on from Marc-André ter Stegen's kick and bore down on Neuer unchallenged – but the goalkeeper's outstretched right leg blocked his shot.
Moments later Suárez wriggled free inside the penalty area and found Neymar at the far post; Rafinha deflected the shot behind, and that was the cue for Bayern to switch to a more familiar back four.
Guardiola had been able to call on Robert Lewandowski despite the striker suffering jaw and nose injuries the previous week and, though the Pole had been anonymous early on, he was centre stage in the 18th minute only to fluff his lines. Thomas Müller won possession and his cross picked out the unmarked Lewandowski; the striker was unable to apply the finishing touch.
That scare aside, Barcelona – beaten7-0 on aggregate by Bayern in their last UEFA Champions League semi-final back in 2013 – looked the more likely, Suárez heading over from a corner. Six minutes before the break Bayern were caught out again as Andrés Iniesta lifted a wonderful pass over their defence. Daniel Alves controlled on his chest; again Neuer blocked with his legs.
Bayern started the second half on the front foot but it was the home side who continued to look the more dangerous. Messi exchanged passes with Neymar to create space a the shot; Neuer was right behind it. The goalkeeper then watched Neymar's attempt sail over after Ivan Rakitić had fed the Brazilian.
Barcelona, and Messi, would not be denied. Alves did the legwork for the 77th-minute breakthrough, robbing Juan Bernat and finding Messi; the forward duly fired inside Neuer's near post. With Bayern rocking, the Barcelona No10 capitalised again moments later, collecting Rakitić's pass and leaving Jérôme Boateng floundering before clipping the ball over Neuer.
Bayern's hopes were hanging by a thread, and they all but disappeared in the final seconds. Messi's pass set Neymar clear of the defence and this time Neuer had no answer as a composed finish left Barcelona with one foot in the final.
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