RELIVE: Bayern Munich 4-0 Barcelona (UEFA Champions League)

Bayern Munich on the verge of a second consecutive appearance in the UEFA Champions League final after crushing Barcelona 4-0 in the first leg of the competition's semis

The referee blows his final whistle, Bayern Munich 4-0 Barcelona
90+2 Barcelona's Iniesta is booked.
90+2 Bayern Munich are toying with their Barcelona counterparts.
90 The referee adds three minutes of stoppage time.
89 Barcelona's full-back Jordi Alba receives a yellow card for throwing the ball in the face of Robben on the touchline. He will miss the second leg.
88 Bayern winger Franck Ribery is replaced with Swiss forward Xherdan Shaqiri.
86 Barcelona's Chilean winger Alexis is booked for a challenge on the darting Robben.
86 What a comprehensive score-line. Bayern have one foot in the Wembley final.
84 Man of the match Muller is replaced by veteran striker Claudio Pizarro.
83 Muller adds the fourth after cutting ahead of his marker to convert a low cross from David Alaba.
82 GOOAAAAAAAAAAAAL FOR BAYERN MUNICH!!
80 What a chance for Bayern!! The impressive Muller breaks clear after out-muscling his challenger but Valdes rushes out to block his effort.
79 Bayern can even add to their tally in the last 10 minutes. They are still in control.
76 A rare goal-scoring opportunity for Barcelona is wasted by Bartra! He breaks the offside trap and pounces on a floated free kick but he lashes the ball wide with the goal at his mercy.
74 Bayern leave Barcelona with an uphill climb. Bayern were deemed as favourites, but how many expected that the Bavarians would have a 3-0 lead with 15 minutes remaining?
72 Arjen Robben adds a controversial third goal! He sidesteps Jordi Alba inside the area and finds the corner of the net with a precise shot. However, Muller appears to have obstructed Alba just when Robben went past him.
72 GOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAL FOR BAYERN MUNICH!!
72 Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes tries to beef up his midfield and defence to keep Barcelona at bay in the remaining minutes.
71 The first substitution for Bayern Munich. Gomez, who scored the second goal, is replaced by midfielder Luis Gustavo.
70 Bayern miss the chance to add the third! Valdes fails to handle a corner but the defence clears the danger.
69 Messi makes a darting run in the area but his shot is blocked by Dante.
66 Barcelona are toothless. They need to at least score an away goal that could help them in the second leg.
65 Bayern defender Jerome Boateng clears a right-wing cross from Alves.
63 Messi is a shadow of his usual self. He is apparently still affected by injury.
62 In a rare Barca forway, a low cross by Alves is handled by Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer, who is not tested so far.
59 Thomas Muller is truly impressive. Not only he scored a goal and created the other, but he also superbly fulfils his defensive duties.
57 A Robben header from a floated cross narrowly misses the target. Bayern are completely outplaying Barcelona.
55 Another chance for Bayern Munich!! Robben skips past his challenger on the edge of the area and feeds Ribery, whose touch takes him past Alves but his subsequent angled shot misses the target.
52 Muller goes close to adding the third with a low shot from the edge of the area. His effort goes just wide.
50 Bayern make things more difficult for the out-of-sorts Catalans.
49 Muller outjumps Dani Alves at the far post to head the ball across the six-yard box. It eludes Valdes and finds Mario Gomez, whose side-footed effort goes into an empty net from close range. Television replays suggest that Gomez might have been in an offside position.
49 GOOOOOOOOOOAL FOR BAYERN MUNICH
48 Iniesta runs onto a through pass from Alexis but the linesman wrongfully flags for offside.
46 Bayern's Javi Martinez receives a yellow card for felling Iniesta.
The second half is underway
The referee blows his half-time whistle, Bayern Munich 1-0 Barcelona
43 Xavi's usual neat passes, Iniesta's catchy feints and Messi's mazy runs are nowhere to be seen.
40 Bayern's defenders and midfielders are stifling Barca's attacks with heavy challenges and tackles.
39 Barcelona's youngsters Marc Bartra is booked for a challenge on Thomas Muller.
39 Barcelona are still unable to unlock a tight defence.
37 Bayern striker Mario Gomez receives a yellow card for a clumsy challenge on Lionel Messi.
34 Muller tries to chip the ball over the defence but the ball goes straight to the hands of Valdes following some intricate passes.
32 Barcelona need a last-ditch clearance from Pique to prevent Bayern from doubling their lead following a goal-mouth scramble.
30 Bayern deservedly grab the lead in the second quarter of an hour. They look the more likely to score again.
29 Barcelona almost level the score!! Dante makes a last-ditch clearance to clear a diagonal cross just before Messi puts the ball in.
27 A compact and highly efficient Bayern side are outplaying the visitors.
25 Muller gives Bayern a deserved lead!! A Robben cross is nodded by Dante to the far post, where Muller pops up to send a header that strikes the body of Valdes and goes in.
25 GOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL FOR BAYERN MUNICH
23 Bayern ease off as Barcelona's defence attempts to push them high up the field.
20 Bayern's full-backs are perfectly closing down spaces, making life difficult for the Catalans.
18 An attempted cross from Bayern full-back Lahm is blocked by the defence. Bayern's wingers are causing Barca's defence all sorts of problems.
17 Barcelona's shy attacking attempts are thwarted by a steadfast Bayern defence.
16 A tame Muller volley is collected by Valdes.
15 A Philipp Lahm shot is blocked by Pique. Bayern appeal for a penalty after the ball appears to strike Pique's arm, but the referee waves play on.
15 Bayern were unlucky not to go ahead in the first quarter of an hour after Robben had a close-range shot saved by Valdes. Barcelona are still trying to carve out chances.
14 Barcelona are trying to dominate possession with their trademark smooth passes.
11 Bayern's build-up play is orchestrated by Thomas Muller. David Alaba is also lively down the left.
9 A bald-headed Gerard Pique heads wide from a corner.
7 Barcelona begin to take possession as they seek to recover from a slow start.
6 Barcelona's defence desperately clears crosses as Bayern pour forward.
5 The pitch is water logged. The ball hardly moves.
4 Bayern, roared on by the passionate crowd, make an explosive start.
2 Arjen Robben almost puts Bayern ahead in their first foray forward!! He is superbly picked out unmarked by a back-heel pass from Mario Gomez inside the area but his shot is blocked by Barcelona keeper Victor Valdes.
The match is underway
20:40 Both sides step onto the pitch amid enthusiastic cheers from the crowd.
20:35 We are getting ready for the exciting and unpredictable encounter. Who will have the edge tonight?
20:20 Both sides are warming up on the pitch, around 25 minutes before kick-off.
19:45 Bayern Munich's starting line-up: 1-Manuel Neuer; 2-Philipp Lahm, 17-Jerome Boateng, 4-Dante, 27-David Alaba; 31-Bastian Schweinsteiger, 8-Javi Martinez; 25-Thomas Mueller, 7-Franck Ribery, 10-Arjen Robben; 33-Mario Gomez.
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19:40 Barcelona's starting line-up: Barcelona: 1-Victor Valdes; 2-Daniel Alves, 3-Gerard Pique, 15-Marc Bartra, 18-Jordi Alba; 6-Xavi, 16-Sergio Busquets, 8-Andres Iniesta; 9-Alexis Sanchez, 10-Lionel Messi, 17-Pedro.
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19:00 Barcelona's Argentinean wizard Lionel Messi is expected to be included in the starting line-up after recovering from injury.
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18:00 The formidable Barcelona are close to winning a fourth La Liga title in five years. They have a 13-point lead over second-placed Real Madrid with six matches remaining.
17:30 Before facing Barcelona, Bayern Munich set the record for the earliest Bundesliga title win, claimed a record 27 victories in the competition and a record ninth consecutive away win.
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Stay tuned for Ahram Online live coverage of Germany's Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich with Spain's La Liga powerhouse Barcelona in UEFA Champions League semi-finals Tuesday.
Both teams are dominating their leagues to an almost embarrassing extent, have won the Champions League four times apiece, share an acrimonious rivalry with Real Madrid, and owe part of their success to the flamboyant Dutchman Louis van Gaal.
Both have also been in two Champions League finals in the last four years, though the Catalans won both of theirs and the Bavarians came out losers on each occasion.
Barcelona are 13 points clear at the top of La Liga, yet could be considered underdogs against a rampant Bayern, who wrapped up the Bundesliga two weeks ago and won two games by 6-1 margins this week, even though they were resting their top players.
Probable lineups:
Bayern Munich: 1-Manuel Neuer; 2-Philipp Lahm, 5-Daniel van Buyten, 4-Dante, 27-David Alaba; 31-Bastian Schweinsteiger, 8-Javi Martinez; 25-Thomas Mueller, 7-Franck Ribery, 10-Arjen Robben; 33-Mario Gomez
Barcelona: 1-Victor Valdes; 2-Daniel Alves, 3-Gerard Pique, 22-Eric Abidal, 18-Jordi Alba; 6-Xavi, 16-Sergio Busquets, 8-Andres Iniesta; 9-Alexis Sanchez, 10-Lionel Messi, 17-Pedro
The match kicks off at 20:45 CLT (18:45 GMT).
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