Barcelona's historically devastating defeat must usher in radical change

It was an ‘I was there’ moment that had hardly anyone present.

Bayern’s sensational 8-2 victory over Barcelona in the empty Estadio de Luz in Lisbon is a victory that will resonate for years to come. It will need more time to contextualise it fully, but even during the match it felt like an echo of Hungary’s legendary 6-3 humbling of England at Wembley, Real Madrid dismantling Eintracht Frankfurt 7-3 in the 1960 European Cup Final and Brazil 1 Germany 7 at the 2014 World Cup. Those matches were not just thrashings, but epochal defeats with far-reaching consequences.

Seeing a club of Barcelona’s stature eviscerated so clinically is not a memory that will fade fast. It was a jaw-dropping evening, but Bayern have fired warning shots for something of this ilk for most of this prolonged season. They had won all eight of their Champions League matches before tonight, scoring 31 goals in the process; within that was a stunning 7-2 victory over Tottenham in London back in October. That too was achieved with a flurry of late goals, which many attributed to Spurs sliding listlessly to the end of their time with manager Mauricio Pochettino. It now resembles the first calling card of a side intent on shattering Champions League records this season.

Barcelona have served enough notice of their ability to collapse too. They have lost from seemingly impregnable positions against Roma and Liverpool in their previous two Champions League campaigns, and their 3-1 victory over Napoli on Saturday masked an alarmingly sloppy defensive display that better opposition would have punished. Such opposition arrived in Lisbon on Friday night, and Bayern were in no mood to declare after effectively winning the match in just over half an hour.

Apart from the emphatic score, what really caught the eye was the sheer selflessness of Bayern’s players. Thomas Muller had a phenomenal game, scoring and laying on goals almost at will, while Robert Lewandowski worked tirelessly before scoring his 54th goal of the season by nodding in Bayern’s sixth. Philippe Coutinho had his fifteen minutes too, let loose as a late substitute against the club from which he is on loan, to set up Lewandowski’s goal and add another two himself. This communal ethic has seen Bayern score 39 goals in just nine Champions League matches this season. They are closing in on Barcelona’s record of 45, a benchmark set in 16 games in 1999-00.

The shellshocked Barcelona players looked to Lionel Messi, but the current Ballon d’Or holder was peripheral figure throughout. Through no fault of his own Messi has been the recipient of some preposterously hyperbolic idolatry in recent years, driven by the increasing cult of the individual player, an obsession with data and the incessant buzz of social media. Yet this was a night where Barcelona’s statistical phenomenon was rendered powerless in the face of a team organised enough to shepherd him away from danger and with the weapons to mercilessly punish a group of team-mates nowhere near his lofty standards.

An 8-2 humiliation witnessed by an entire continent is the type of result that should prompt a radical rethink. Messi is now 33, and despite his talent and the overwhelming advantages Barcelona enjoy in Spain and Europe as one of the world’s super clubs, he has only played in three Champions League finals in his career. If this humbling does prompt a sea change in Barcelona’s approach, it will have to take effect quickly to drain the maximum out of Messi’s ability as he approaches the final seasons of his career. Right now, the future seems to be all about one club.

Bayern Munich are the only side remaining in the Champions League to have won the competition and look to be overwhelming favourites for the trophy next Sunday. That would complete a Treble, the second in their history, and secure the club their sixth title in Europe’s premier club competition. If they can achieve it, the manner in which they have obliterated their opposition this season will see them remembered as one of the most dominant teams in the history of the competition. Whatever happens from here, the 8-2 victory will surely remain this team’s signature performance.