Most football matches become a blur once the final whistle goes. You might remember some special goals, maybe the result itself, years down the line but not too much else. But every now and then, a football match comes along that sears itself into your brain, moment by moment, making it an entirely unforgettable 90 minutes.
Or desperately forgettable, if your team was on the wrong side.
August 14, 2020 was one such night.
Bayern Munich humiliated Barcelona 8-2 in Friday’s Champions League quarter-final in Lisbon to set up a potential clash against Manchester City for a place in the final.
Thomas Mueller and Philippe Coutinho both scored twice as the German double winners blew Barca away in a merciless display that will prompt serious questions over Lionel Messi’s future in Spain.
Ivan Perisic, Serge Gnabry, Joshua Kimmich and Robert Lewandowski were also on target for Bayern, with Barca’s goals coming via a David Alaba own goal and a second-half strike from Luis Suarez.
Thomas Mueller scored twice either side of goals from Ivan Perisic and Serge Gnabry in a stunning opening 31 minutes at an empty Estadio da Luz, with a David Alaba own-goal having briefly brought Barcelona back level.
Luis Suarez pulled it back to 4-2 at one point in the second half, but Barcelona then caved in, with Joshua Kimmich getting Bayern’s fifth before three more goals in the final stages, one for the prolific Robert Lewandowski and two for substitute Philippe Coutinho.
That was the really humiliating part for the beaten side, with Coutinho on loan in Bavaria from Barcelona, who spent 160 million euros on signing the Brazilian in 2018 but never got the best out of him.
Brief scores:
Barcelona (ESP) 2 (Alaba 7-og, Suarez 57) lost against Bayern Munich (GER) 8 (Mueller 4, 31, Perisic 22, Gnabry 27, Kimmich 63, Lewandowski 82, Coutinho 85, 89)
Here’s a look at the best reactions to the game from a crazy night:
Unforgettable.#UCL pic.twitter.com/dyAL72TaVf
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) August 14, 2020
Unbelievable - what a game!! #FCBFCB #UCL #DerTraumLebt pic.twitter.com/zXvaJ1PZin
— Thomas Müller (@esmuellert_) August 14, 2020
For some moments, there are simply no words...😃 @FCBayern #BARBAY #UCL
— Robert Lewandowski (@lewy_official) August 14, 2020
Goals in the UCL this season:
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) August 14, 2020
Lewandowski: 14
Messi, Ronaldo & Mbappe combined: 12 pic.twitter.com/4FwdNEceeT
Good heavens. @FCBarcelona are an absolute shambles. 🤦🏻♂️
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) August 14, 2020
Barcelona paid £142,000,000 for a player to come on and score two and set up another against them in the Champions League quarter final.
— DaveOCKOP (@DaveOCKOP) August 14, 2020
8 - Bayern Munich are the first team to score eight goals in a Champions League knockout match. Endless. #UCL
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) August 14, 2020
Barcelona 7/2 - time to consolidate and build a partnership 🤭
— Carlos Brathwaite (@TridentSportsX) August 14, 2020
Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham fans to Barcelona:#FCBFCB pic.twitter.com/yBf1xCBn3o
— Samuel Naijablogger (@Naijablogger) August 14, 2020
It's been 74 years since Barcelona conceded eight goals in a game 💩
— Goal (@goal) August 15, 2020
Sevilla 8-0 Barcelona (Copa del Rey, 1946)
Barcelona 2-8 Bayern (Champions League, 2020)
😏 pic.twitter.com/iz5DHhn5Nk
For the first time since 2004/05, the #UCL semifinals will not feature Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi ❌❌ pic.twitter.com/wC1XPDViP4
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) August 14, 2020
Lionel Messi doesn't deserve 8-2. I feel angry on behalf of him writing this. Get it fixed, Barcelona.
— Grant Wahl (@GrantWahl) August 15, 2020
🔴 New UCL record for Bayern & a new competition milestone:
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) August 14, 2020
😱 Bayern score 8 in a match for the first time...
🤯 Fastest a team has ever scored 4 goals in a knockout match.#UCL
✍️ @FCBarcelona’s 3 most expensive signings:
— SPORF (@Sporf) August 14, 2020
🇧🇷 @Phil_Coutinho
💰 £130million
😅 2 goals & 1 assist for @FCBayern
🇫🇷 @Dembouz
💰 £124million
❌ Left on the bench
🇫🇷 @AntoGriezmann
💰 £108million
😳 Started on the bench
😬 £362million of talent. pic.twitter.com/SHX1HsapVs
I know Bayern have a great set of players and all but they weren't this good under Niko Kovač. Hansi Flick deserves huge credit.
— LTArsenal™ (@ltarsenal) August 14, 2020
75': Philippe Coutinho comes on
— Squawka News (@SquawkaNews) August 14, 2020
82': Philippe Coutinho assists
85': Philippe Coutinho scores
89': Philippe Coutinho scores
Worth every penny for Barcelona... oh wait. 🙃 pic.twitter.com/VJtVdzVUVy
And they made Barcelona look like a 2. Bundesliga team pic.twitter.com/26jT2J5Cyu
— Troll Football (@TrollFootball) August 14, 2020
Coutinho when Barcelona loaned him to Bayern Munich pic.twitter.com/ijInm0246K
— Will (@CarefreeJay_) August 14, 2020
Thomas Muller knowing he played major roles in Brazil 1-7 Germany and Barcelona 2-8 Bayern Munich pic.twitter.com/dKRfxNjLNr
— ODDSbible (@ODDSbible) August 14, 2020
Time for a great team to take some tough decisions and rebuild. #Barcelona
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) August 15, 2020
Arsene Wenger really wanted to mould Arsenal into Barcelona so bad, he allowed his team to lose 8-2 to Manchester United so that 9 years later, his Arsenal would finally be compared to Barcelona.
— Football Siao! (@FootballSia0) August 15, 2020
Arsene Wenger, he’s done it again. pic.twitter.com/3hpXmiE9G5
This is Barcelona with Messi. Wait till Messi retires.
— KALYJAY 👻 (@gyaigyimii) August 14, 2020
Congratulations Bayern,superb performance par excellence....Remember Barca of yesteryear,because now?
— Ray Hudson (@RayHudson) August 15, 2020
“Gone is the romance that was so divine.
'tis broken and cannot be mended. “ #BarcaBayern
The tweet that seemed to be most common, however, was this:
Barcelona fans won’t be eating anything today because they already 8-2 much
— Faizal Rosly (@ijaicool) August 14, 2020
You 8-2 see this lol😂😂. Bayern turned Barcelona's Twitter handle into Livescore😃😂😃😂😂😆 pic.twitter.com/pLzRw7fson
— Adenta Christian Pulisic💙👑 (@Yaw__DC) August 14, 2020
Remember when Caesar was stabbed by his best friend Brutus and he said, "Et tu, Brute?", which means,"Even you, Brutus?"
— Frank Edoho (@frankedoho) August 14, 2020
After Coutinho scored the last goal, Barcelona said, 8-2, Brute? #BarcaBayern
I’d 8-2 to be a Barcelona fan.
— 𝙅𝙊𝙎𝙃 𝙕𝙀𝙍𝙆𝙀𝙍 (@ZerkaaHD) August 14, 2020
(With AFP inputs)