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Bayern logo
Champions League | Semi-Finals
May 12, 2015 at 7.45pm UK
 
Barcelona logo

3-2

Benatia (7'), Lewandowski (59'), Muller (74')
FT(HT: 1-2)
Neymar (15', 29')

Live Commentary: Bayern Munich 3-2 Barcelona (Barca win 5-3 on aggregate) - as it happened

Relive Bayern Munich's 3-2 victory over Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final as Barca progress to the final despite defeat in the second leg.
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Barcelona booked their spot in the final of the Champions League this evening despite falling to a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Bayern Munich in the second leg at the Allianz Arena.

Bayern went into the match trailing 3-0 from the first leg, but raised hopes of an unlikely comeback when Mehdi Benatia nodded home after just seven minutes.

Two away goals from Neymar ensured that Barcelona moved back out of sight by half time, however, and second-half strikes from Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Muller were not enough to turn things around for the Bundesliga champions.

Find out how all of the action unfolded courtesy of Sports Mole's live minute-by-minute coverage below.


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Good evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for tonight's mouth-watering Champions League semi-final second leg between Bayern Munich and Barcelona at the Allianz Arena. The odds are heavily stacked against the hosts following their 3-0 defeat in the first leg last week, which is good news for the neutral as it gives them little option but to attack from the off tonight. Last week's match was a classic encounter, and we should be in for another treat tonight. Let's start with a look at Bayern...

It all seems to be unravelling for Bayern Munich at the moment. The German giants clinched yet another Bundesliga title last month, but since then they have been in dreadful form, losing their last four matches in all competitions. It is almost unprecedented for a club like Bayern to be on that sort of run, and they face the very real possibility of that streak growing to five matches against an incredibly strong Barcelona outfit tonight.

It is almost as if Pep Guardiola's side have stopped trying as hard since their title success, with their domestic season over as a contest. However, they still had plenty for fight for elsewhere and, until recently, were very much on course for a treble. However, that dream came to an end courtesy of a penalty shootout defeat by Borussia Dortmund in the DFB-Pokal semi-finals, while even their hopes of a double are hanging by the thinnest of threads following last week's first leg.

Quite what has gone wrong seems to be puzzling Guardiola. He has fielded a weakened side in the two league matches since they clinched the title, but even then to have lost both is surprising. Against Barcelona they could have been 3-0 down inside the opening 15 minutes or so last week and, while they fought their way into the match, they were lucky to still be in with a shout when Messi turned on the style to inspire the three goals in 13 minutes at the end.

The last time Bayern failed to win four matches in a row came all the way back in 2002, while they had not lost four in a row this century before this current run. One of those defeats did come on penalties, in the aforementioned DFB-Pokal defeat, but it is still a dire run by Bayern's usual standards. Indeed, in all competitions they have won just five of their last 12 games - a major dip in form for a side used to winning almost every week.

Perhaps even more worryingly, Bayern have failed to even score in their last three games - a run of 361 minutes without finding the back of the net. That is their longest barren run for 17 years, and there is no guarantee that it will end tonight given Barcelona's recent defensive record. It should not be forgotten that Bayern are more than capable of scoring the four goals they need to turn this one around - they have scored 13 in their last two Champions League second legs, after all - but they will need a drastic improvement to do so.

There is also the small matter of keeping Barcelona at bay at the other end of the field. Bayern do boast the best defence in Europe's top five divisions having conceded a meagre 16 goals in their 32 league games so far this season, but they are coming up against a truly special attacking line who are likely to get space if Bayern throw caution to the wind - which they probably have to do. If the tie is not over already, and away goal for Barca would surely do it.

It hasn't been the smoothest journey through the Champions League all told for Bayern this season. They have lost three times in the competition already, and have failed to win any of their first-leg matches in the knockout phase. They did rather cruise through their group, with a loss to Manchester City a minor blip in an otherwise perfect group stage. Only Chelsea scored more in the entire groups, but Bayern did draw a blank against Shakhtar in the first leg of their last-16 match.

They made up for that in the second leg, however, hammering Shakhtar 7-0 here in Munich to set up a quarter-final clash with Porto. Again, the first leg didn't go to plan as Porto pulled off a major upset by winning 3-1. However, Bayern's home form came to their rescue again as they thumped the Portuguese side 6-1 to progress 7-4 on aggregate. The quality of opposition is substantially better for this second leg, however, so it would be some achievement if Bayern to to manage another turnaround.

Their record at home in Europe is a perfect one so far, though, with five wins from their five outings at the Allianz Arena. They have scored 19 goals overall in the process, conceding just one in that time. It is a formidable record and one that should give them a shred of confidence going into what looks like an impossible task. There is a feeling that, if any team can turn this one around, it is Bayern.

They have in fact picked up the exact result that they would need to progress inside 90 minutes tonight just two years ago at the same stage against the same opponents. Jupp Heynckes's Bayern were drawn against Barcelona in the semi-finals in 2013, and what was expected to be a close tie turned into a whitewash. Bayern ran out 4-0 winners here at the Allianz Arena to help them to an incredible 7-0 aggregate triumph on their way to the trophy. That should give them hope for tonight, but it is also likely to mean Barcelona will have no mercy on the Germans.

Another cause for optimism for Bayern fans is that they have Guardiola in the dugout - a man many believe to be the best in the business. Few people know this Barcelona team as well as him, with the Spaniard having amassed an incredible haul of 14 trophies during his four years at the helm, including two Champions League titles. He won another Champions League as a player with the club, in addition to six domestic titles over an 11-year spell.

Bayern Munich head coach Pep Guardiola looks on prior to kick-off in the Champions League quarter final match against Manchester United on April 9, 2014© AFP


There is no doubting that he is a Barcelona legend, but his tactics at the start of the first leg were risky to say the least. He opted to go man-for-man marking with Barca, leaving the likes of Messi, Neymar and Suarez with plenty of room to operate in. Somehow Bayern survived the opening stages of that match, with Neuer making one magnificent save to deny a golden Suarez chance, and it will be very interesting to see which tactics Guardiola employs tonight.

If they are to reach an 11th European Cup final, they really have to go for it, but finding the balance of keeping the Barcelona attack at bay at the other end is very tough. Only one team has ever recovered from a three-goal first-leg deficit in Champions League history, with Deportivo winning 4-0 in their second leg against AC Milan having lost the first game 4-1 at the San Siro. No team has ever done it from a 3-0 deficit, however, so it would be history if Bayern manage it tonight.

TEAM NEWS: The teams are in for both sides, and neither manager has made any changes to their starting XI from the first leg. Bayern make four from the weekend, while Barca bring in five new faces from their victory over Sociedad, but it is all the same from last week's first leg. Full teams for both sides coming right up...

BAYERN STARTING XI: Neuer; Rafinha, Boateng, Benatia, Bernat; Alonso, Lahm, Thiago, Schweinsteiger; Lewandowski, Muller

BAYERN SUBS: Reina, Dante, Martinez, Pizarro, Gaudino, Gotze, Rode, Weiser

BARCELONA STARTING XI: Ter Stegen; Alves, Pique, Mascherano, Alba; Rakitic, Busquets, Iniesta; Neymar, Suarez, Messi

BARCELONA SUBS: Bravo, Bartra, Adriano, Mathieu, Xavi, Rafinha, Pedro

Matt Law impersonating a giraffe (square)
La Liga correspondent Matt Law:

"I am a little surprised that Mario Gotze has not been recalled to the Bayern XI this evening. However, you can see Guardiola's thinking – his team were very much in the game last week until the latter stages. As for Barcelona, no surprises at all and little to be said. Just the 112 goals for the season for Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar now."


As Matt mentions, it is something of a surprise to see Gotze left on the bench once again, but Guardiola has kept faith with the same XI that fell short last week. That means another start up front for Lewandowski, who has been forced to play with a mask following a nasty collision with the keeper during his side's DFB-Pokal clash with Dortmund a few weeks ago. Lewandowski has had a decent campaign overall for Bayern, but the team has failed to score in their last three games and they will be looking to him to end that drought tonight.

Of course, it is only fair to note that Bayern have been hit by injuries to some key players in recent weeks, with Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben - among the chief architects of the demolition of Barca two years ago - sidelined for the rest of the season. Any team in the world would miss players of that quality, and the Bundesliga champions are a little unfortunate to be coming up against an in-form and full-strength Barcelona when they are missing two of their best players.

Muller will also bear the goalscoring burden with Lewandowski tonight, with the German World Cup winner one of Bayern's brighter players for spells of the first leg. He has already developed a reputation as a big-game player too, so the stage could very well be set for him to pull off something special tonight. It is a major ask, of course, but with a supporting midfield cast that includes the likes of Lahm, Alonso and Schweinsteiger, it is not beyond the realms of possibility.

That midfield kept the ball well during the second half of the first leg, with Bayern looking relatively comfortable before the final 15 minutes of that match. The difference was that Bayern were content to keep possession without threatening too much in Barcelona as the onus was very much on the hosts to attack. Tonight, the roles are reversed, and that midfield will have to flood forward in support of their attack if they are to pull off the comeback.

At the back, Boateng will be dreading the thought of coming up against Messi again having been embarrassed by the Argentine in the first leg, but in goal Neuer could prove to be just as crucial as those in front of him. While Bayern need goals, they also need to keep Barcelona at bay, and that is something Neuer managed for 77 minutes of the first leg. He made a number of big saves, but ultimately could do nothing to stop the Messi show in the final stages of the game.

Barcelona's Argentinian forward Lionel Messi (R) scores a goal during the UEFA Champions League football match FC Barcelona vs FC Bayern Muenchen at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on May 6, 2015© Getty Images


Speaking of Messi, the little maestro enters this match on 53 goals for the season having notched 10 in his last 10 appearances. He is the Champions League's all-time leading goalscorer with 77 following his brace in the first leg, and he has the chance to extend his one-goal advantage over perennial rival Cristiano Ronaldo today. His 13-minute spell at the end of the first leg was a joy to behold and Bayern will be very wary of the attacker, who is in arguably the best form of his glittering career at the moment. As Guardiola said and Messi proved last week, though, he is unstoppable when he is at the top of his game.

His supporting cast aren't exactly bad either. Neymar got the killer third goal right at the end of the first leg, and another in the 2-0 win over Real Sociedad at the weekend means that he has now scored in each of his last six matches for the club. He has found the net seven times in that spell and has nine in his last nine. Suarez, meanwhile, joins Messi with 10 goals in his last 10. As Matt mentioned, the trio have a staggering club-record of 112 goals between them this season, a tally made all the more amazing by the fact that Suarez was banned for the opening stages of the campaign. They may well be the best attacking trio ever assembled.

Iniesta, Busquets and Rakitic continue in midfield, with that trio very much Enrique's preferred partnership at the moment. Xavi has to settle for a bit-part role nowadays, but there are few better players to come on and control a match when Barcelona find themselves needing to dictate the tempo. That may well be the case tonight, and if so Xavi would become the first player in history to make 150 Champions League appearances. Real Madrid's Iker Casillas is also currently on 149 and is expected to reach the milestone in tomorrow's semi-final.

At the back there are also no changes from the first leg, although Alba returns from the weekend while Mascherano drops back into defence having played further forward against Sociedad. Ter Stegen again fills in between the sticks, meanwhile, with Bravo's appearances limited to the league this season. It is remarkable that Barcelona have two keepers of such quality that they can play a different one in different tournaments and still be on course for a clean sweep of trophies.

That is exactly what Barcelona look like doing this season having already reached the final of the Copa del Rey. Last week saw them take major strides towards the two other trophies still up for grabs, with their first-leg victory in this tie being following up by a 2-0 win over Sociedad in the league. Just as importantly, Real Madrid dropped points at home to Valencia, leaving Barcelona with a four-point gap over the great rivals with just two matches remaining.

They are understandably favourites to lift the Champions League this term, and right now it looks like the only thing that could prevent them from winning the treble is a strike in Spain. As things stand, all matches in the league and the Copa del Rey final have been postponed due to an ongoing argument over TV rights, which would be a rather farcical way of ending the season. Barcelona are due to face reigning champions Atletico Madrid this weekend in a match that would see them clinch the title with a win but, at the moment, that game will not take place.

Barcelona won't want this season to end at all, yet alone prematurely. They come into this match in the best form the club has ever been in. Never before had they won seven consecutive games without conceding a goal, but that exactly the record they bring into this match. Indeed, their winning streak stretches to eight now, with the last goal they conceded coming in the 3-1 victory over PSG on April 15.

Overall, their unbeaten run stretches back 18 games to February 21, when they fell to a shock 1-0 home defeat at the hands of Malaga in the league. What is more impressive than that is the amount of matches they have won, though. Seventeen of those 18 matches have resulted in Barcelona victories, while looking even further back they have emerged victorious in 38 of their last 42 games in all competitions. It is sensational form, and they show no signs of letting up.

It is hard to believe that Luis Enrique's future was called into question at one point this season. It has been a magnificent debut campaign at the helm from the former Barca player, who has won 47 of his 55 games as manager. Another victory tonight would break the club record for amount of wins in a single season, while his win percentage is substantially better than that of Guardiola in his debut season at the club.

Barcelona's coach Luis Enrique celebrates after a goal during the Spanish league football match FC Barcelona vs Club Atletico de Madrid at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on January 11, 2015© Getty Images


Many consider Guardiola's Barcelona to be the greatest team in recent times - some may even say ever - but there is an argument to be made that this current crop under Enrique are showing signs of being just as good. They would need to maintain their success over a few seasons as Guardiola did, but this year has been phenomenal from the Catalan side and, even with a transfer ban, it is hard to see them deteriorating much over the coming year or so.

They have not won the Champions League since the Guardiola era, but nine wins on the bounce in this competition suggests that they are very much on course to end that four-year drought this time around. It is their longest winning streak in this competition since 2002-03, while overall they have won 10 of their 11 matches in this season's competition, with their only defeat coming away to PSG on matchday two - a loss they later avenged in the quarter-finals.

Ominously for Bayern, Barca have also won their last four away games in the Champions League and on the verge of winning five in a row for the first time in the club's history. They had only won four in 14 away games before that, so it is no easy feat to win so many consecutive games on the road in this tournament. In all competitions they are unbeaten in 14 away games, winning 13 of those and scoring 48 goals in the process.

Indeed, they have won 21 of their 27 away games in all competitions this season, with just three draws and three defeats. The latest of those defeats came all the way back at the start of January, when David Moyes's Real Sociedad edged to a narrow victory straight after the winter break.

I have already mentioned the exploits of their front three, with their goals helping Barcelona to become the joint highest scoring team in Europe's top five leagues. They have scored an astonishing 107 league goals already this season - the same number as Real Madrid - while they have managed to net five or more times in no fewer than 13 games this season.

Almost as impressive has been their defensive record this season, and that is arguably where they have shown the most improvement since the last campaign. They have conceded just 19 times in the league this season - the best in La Liga by nine goals and second only to Bayern in Europe's top five leagues - while they have kept 32 clean sheets in their 55 matches this season.

Barcelona have not lost by three clear goals for two years, but that did come again tonight's opponents in that infamous 7-0 aggregate triumph. Most of the recent meeting between these two sides have been one sided, so it will be interesting to see which way this one goes tonight.

Barca have reached their seventh semi-final in the last eight years, with the only exception in that time coming last season. They have lifted the trophy four times overall, three of which have come in the last nine years, while they are on course for their eighth final. They are slightly less experienced than Bayern in that regard, with the Germans having lifted the trophy five times and reached 11 finals, but it would take something special for that to become 12 tonight.

PREDICTION: We're 10 minutes away from kickoff at the Allianz Arena, so it is about time I made a prediction! I'm looking forward to another open, attacking game today, with Bayern needing to press forward and Barcelona unlikely to sit back with such an array of attacking talent. I can see goals in this one and it could be another match for the ages. Barcelona are just so strong at the moment, though, and I can see them winning on the night to make it even more emphatic on aggregate. I'm going for a 3-2 away win. My colleague Matt Law disagrees, though...

Matt Law impersonating a giraffe (square)
La Liga correspondent Matt Law:

"I know I am in the minority, but I am not expecting that many goals this evening. In fact, just the two. Bayern need to attack and they will, but Barca have been much improved at the back this season. It would not be that surprising if there were lots of goals, but I am going to stick to my guns on this one and back a 1-1 draw on the night, Barca 4-1 on aggregate."


Barcelona have a formidable record of getting the job done in second legs having won the first, progressing on 37 of the 39 occasions in which they have gone into the away second leg with a lead. The biggest first-leg lead they have ever let slip was 2-0, and that came all the way back in 1983-84 in the Cup Winners' Cup.

Bayern, meanwhile, have won five of their seven European Cup semi-finals against Spanish opposition, but they will be fearing a repeat of last season after the first leg. They were hammered 5-0 on aggregate by eventual champions Real Madrid in the last four in 2013-14, including a 4-0 victory for the Spaniards here in Munich. That was one of only two home games Bayern have ever lost to Spanish teams, winning 15 of their 22 down the years.

We're very close to kickoff now, so I should remind you that the winner of this tie will face either Real Madrid or Juventus in the final in Berlin on Saturday, June 6. Juventus currently hold the advantage in the other semi-final courtesy of a 2-1 victory in the first leg, but tomorrow's match at the Bernabeu is very much up for grabs. An El Clasico Champions League final would be pretty tasty, wouldn't it?

KICKOFF: Barcelona get us underway as they look to complete the job they started last week. Bayern need a minor miracle, but is anyone can do it then it is probably them.

Bayern have seen the majority of the ball in these opening exchanges, but a bright break down the right for Lahm is all that they have managed so far. It has been a slightly slower start than last week.

CHANCE! Huge chance for Barcelona to get an early away goal that would well and truly put this one to bed. Alves lifts a ball over the top and Rakitic finds himself clean through on goal, but Neuer makes a really smart stop down low to his right to tip it away.

CHANCE! Bayern quickly break at the other end with a counter from a Barcelona corner that came to nothing. Muller carried the ball down the left channel before pulling the ball back for Rafinha, whose shot was really well blocked by Pique.

GOAL! Bayern 1-0 Barcelona (Mehdi Benatia)

Now then! This could have made things very interesting! Bayern get an early goal, and it is a shocker for Barcelona to concede. The marking from a corner is dreadful as Benatia is left in acres of space inside the box to simply plant a header goalwards. Ter Stegen gets a hand to it but can't quite keep it out.

That is the first goal Barcelona have conceded in their last eight games, but Bayern still need two more without reply just to force extra time. It is still a huge task for the hosts, but that will have really got them believing.

The hosts are knocking the ball about nicely at the moment, with Barcelona struggling to get their dangerous front three involved much. Bayern can afford to be a little more patient now, and that goal can only be good news for the neutrals.

Half a chance for Bayern as Barca give the ball away carelessly in a dangerous position, allowing Lewandowski to pick it up inside the box. He twists and turns looking for space for shoot, but is eventually crowded out.

Another shooting chance for Bayern, but this is a rather speculative effort from Schweinsteiger. He lines one up from 30 yards but blazes it high and wide of the target. Barca won't mind facing them all evening.

GOAL! Bayern 1-1 Barcelona (Neymar)

Just like that, Barcelona surely kill the tie off once again. It is that front three in perfect harmony once again as Messi slides a perfectly-weighted ball through for Suarez, who unselfishly plays a square ball to Neymar for a simple finish with Neuer scrambling. The Allianz Arena has been silenced. Barcelona now lead 4-1 on aggregate, and Bayern must score four more without reply to progress.

Flash point as Rafinha and Alba have a minor scuffle, although the replay shows that there was very little in it. Alba went down under the slightest touch from Rafinha with an embarrassing reaction.

CHANCE! Bayern aren't giving up yet! Lahm swings a cross in from the right to Muller, who loops a header towards the far top corner. He couldn't have placed it any better and it looks destined to just sneak in, but Ter Stegen is at full stretch to claw it away. Fine stop.

We really have a game on our hands here. Bayern will not stop attacking and searching for the goals that they know are in their team. They still believe that they can pull this off, which is making for another entertaining spectacle.

The atmosphere inside the Allianz Arena has certainly been subdued since that Barcelona goal. The place was rocking after Benatia's early header as the belief grew, but right now not many of the home fans will be expecting their side to recover.

Bayern are still leaving plenty of space behind their defence, which is how Barcelona's equaliser came about. There have been a couple of close offside calls as well, so the hosts need to be wary of that.

CHANCE! Big chance for the home side to regain their lead on the night as Muller prods the ball through for Lewandowski, whose control is instant. He doesn't have much space or time so needs to poke one quickly, but it is too close to Ter Stegen, who makes the save.

CHANCE! Barcelona come forward at the other end as Neymar receives the ball on the left flank before cutting inside and passing the ball in for Messi. The Argentine takes a touch before firing a snapshot towards goal, but it is straight at Neuer.

CHANCE! Back to the other end and it is Ter Stegen who makes the save from Muller after good work from Thiago.

GOAL! Bayern Munich 1-2 Barcelona (Neymar)

Barcelona have a second away goal, and that is that for this tie. It is shocking defending from the hosts as a simple flick-on on the halfway line sends Suarez through on goal with Neymar in support and only one defender back there. Again Suarez is unselfish as he plays it across for Neymar, whose powerful low volley beats Neuer at his near post.

That was an end-to-end period before that goal, with both sides having clear chances in quick succession of each other. Neymar finally took his, but it came from more poor defending. Guardiola is just leaving too much space behind his backline. It is suicidal against these three.

The great thing about this match is that Bayern simply aren't going to stop attacking. They are still getting men forward and it is worth remembering that they are still capable of scoring plenty more goals. However, it is also hard to believe that Barcelona are done scoring tonight.

Matt Law impersonating a giraffe (square)
La Liga correspondent Matt Law:

"Stunning, stunning Barcelona. Not sure where Neymar's doubters are at the moment, but they have disappeared. Suarez to Neymar and that is game, set and match. Bayern could well take another hiding here, which is a shame for such a wonderful team."


CHANCE! Ter Stegen has certainly been busy in this first half. Again it is a cross that causes Barcelona the problems, this time from the left flank. Schweinsteiger throws himself at it having made a good run across his defender, but Ter Stegen is able to tip the glancing header over the top.

CHANCE! Oh my word, Bayern are inches away from levelling things on the night! It is Lewandowski who has the chance, firing an effort towards goal that Ter Stegen gets something on. The ball continues to trickle towards goal, however, and it takes a fine recovery from the Barca keeper to claw it away just before it creeps over the line. Bayern want a goal given. but it looks like an incredible piece of goalkeeping to me.

Bayern Munich have had the chances to get the goals they need in this match. It has been another absorbing game of football so far, and I would be very surprised if we had seen the last of the goals here. Bayern could well have dragged themselves back into the tie had they taken a couple of their chances in this first half.

There really shouldn't be, but the smallest question mark is still lingering over this tie. Bayern have created enough chances in this first half to have made things very interesting indeed.

Another decent opening for the home side, and again it comes from a cross. It is Benatia once more who climbs highest to meet a free kick, but his looping header drops a couple of yards past the far post.

There will be two minutes of added time at the end of this first half.

YELLOW CARD! Thiago goes into the book for a trip on Mascherano just inside the Bayern half.

HALF TIME: Bayern Munich 1-2 Barcelona (Barcelona lead 5-1 on aggregate)

Another stunning 45 minutes of football between these two sides comes to an end, and it is Barcelona who are in complete control of the tie with a 5-1 aggregate lead and two away goals to play with. Bayern have had their chances, but defensively they have been suspect against Barca's deadly attacking trio. The hosts now need five more goals without reply to progress. Read our half-time report for a full recap of that opening 45 minutes.

It was Bayern who opened the scoring on the night, giving themselves hope of a miraculous comeback by taking the lead in just the seventh minute. It was all too easy for Benatia to nod home as Barcelona's defence went AWOL to end their seven-game clean sheet run. The Bayern defender rose unchallenged in the box from a corner to plant his header past Ter Stegen, who got a hand to it but couldn't keep it out.

That left Bayern needing two goals without reply to force extra time, but Barca always carry an attacking threat and sure enough their front three combined to get an away goal. Messi played a perfect pass through for Suarez, who unselfishly played a square ball across for Neymar to tap home past a sprawling Neuer.

The latter duo combined again for Barcelona's second of the night as Suarez once more showed his sharing side by playing the ball across to Neymar to finish. It was terrible defending from Bayern, with one flick beating the defence and sending Suarez and Neymar through in a two-on-one situation. In truth, the defending from the hosts has been suicidal for much of the game - and indeed the tie - with too much space being left behind them for Barca's front three to exploit.

Matt Law impersonating a giraffe (square)
La Liga correspondent Matt Law:

"Sure, Barcelona are excellent going forward, but you have to question Bayern's approach. Playing a high-line against this Barca team is quite incredible. As mentioned, they lost this tie last week, but they will want to put on a show in the second period. Barcelona will be in the 2015 Champions League final and will certainly enter as the favourites against either Real Madrid or Juventus."


Bayern have had plenty of chances to make things more interesting in that first half, with Ter Stegen being kept very busy. The Barca keeper made one particularly save to deny Lewandowski, sticking out a hand when moving the other way to make the original stop before recovering in time to claw the ball away just as it was trickling over the line. Lewandowski, Muller and Schweinsteiger are among those to have had openings for the hosts, but they haven't been able to take them so far.

Bayern will not change their style in this second half either, so we should be in for another entertaining 45 minutes coming up. If the second half is anything like the first, I would be very surprised if we had seen the last of the goals.

KICKOFF: Bayern Munich get us back underway for the second half, and the first thing to tell you is that Barcelona have made a change at the break, with Pedro replacing Suarez.

So Bayern go into this second half needing five goals without reply, and it says something for the way this match has been that the 'without reply' bit is the most unlikely. I fancy both sides to add to their tallies in the coming 45 minutes. Messi, meanwhile, has moved into the centre following Suarez's departure - not exactly good news for Bayern.

Almost a chance for Bayern, and yet again it comes from a cross. The ball is floated in from the right towards the back post, where Alves is on the back foot and unable to prevent Schweinsteiger from nipping in in font of him. The German's touch lets him down, however, and the danger passes.

A hint of an opening at the other end as Neymar and Messi are involved in moving the ball out wide for Alves. He feeds it back into Messi in the middle, but he is quickly closed down and can't get his shot away.

Good play from Bernat as he makes his way down the left flank, carrying the ball a long way before cutting inside. He gets his way past one challenge in the box but is finally snuffed out before he can cause too much damage.

It has been a bit quieter in this second half so far, with neither side able to create a really clear opening so far. You always get the feeling that a good chance is just around the corner with these two sides, though.

SHOT! Again it is Bernat who asks the questions down the left flank, this time bursting onto a loose ball after an interception had deflected it into his path. He takes the shot on first time from a fairly tight angle, but drills it wide of the near post.

GOAL! Bayern Munich 2-2 Barcelona (Robert Lewandowski)

Bayern level things on the night, and it is a really good finish from Lewandowski. Busquets lost the ball near the halfway line due to some good pressing from Bayern, and the ball was immediately fired into the feet of Lewandowski. He works a yard of space on the edge of the box, beating Mascherano with some great footwork before placing his effort into the bottom corner. Super goal from the Pole.

Matt Law impersonating a giraffe (square)
La Liga correspondent Matt Law:

"Game on? Tie on? Unfortunately not. Cracking finish from Lewandowski and Bayern will want to at least win on the night. Barcelona have dropped their level in this second period and it will be interesting to see what type of response occurs."


CLOSE! Bayern are still pushing for another goal which could just raise the question. A free kick from deep is not dealt with by Barca and the ball drops to Muller inside the box. He takes it on the spin but can only fire a low effort a couple of yards past the post.

YELLOW CARD! Rakitic goes into the book for a late challenge on Lewandowski. Barcelona have got a little complacent since the half-time interval.

Some lovely football from Bayern almost creates another chance, but Lahm is just crowded out on the edge of the box. Barca just haven't been at the races in this second half, with Bayern looking a lot more dangerous right now.

Of course, the onus is very much on the hosts to look for goals now. Barcelona have this tie won, and it appears that Luis Enrique has just told his players to take things easy in this second half.

BAYERN SUB: Interesting change from Bayern as Lahm departs to be replaced by Sebastian Rode. The Bayern skipper doesn't appear to be injured as he trots off, but he does get an arm around his shoulders from Guardiola.

It is all Bayern at the moment in terms of possession. Barcelona are yet to really threaten the home side's goal in this second half, but there is always the danger of Messi and Neymar hitting them on the break.

BARCELONA SUB: The visitors' first change of the night sees Rakitic make way to be replaced by Jeremy Mathieu, which is likely to see Mascherano move forward into midfield.

GOAL! Bayern Munich 3-2 Barcelona (Thomas Muller)

Well, it's been coming and Bayern take the lead on the night through another fine finish, this time from Muller. It is similar to Lewandowski's effort as he curls it into the bottom corner past Ter Stegen following a lay-off from Schweinsteiger. Bayern now need three more on the night...surely not?

BARCELONA SUB: Barca make a second change, and it is a historic one as Xavi comes on for his 150th Champions League appearance - the first player to reach that landmark. He replaces Iniesta.

YELLOW CARD! Lewandowski is the latest player in the book for complaining against Mark Clattenburg's decision to award a goal kick instead of a corner. Clattenburg had the card out of his pocket awfully quickly there!

SHOT! Bayern keep plugging away as Messi is forced to drop deep and loses the ball in a dangerous area. Lewandowski picks it up and sees his shot deflected wide by Pique, while Benatia's header from the resulting corner is too high.

Barcelona have not got out of second gear yet in this second half and, in truth, that has made them really sloppy. This is a million miles away from the Barcelona we have been watching over the past few months, with Bayern pressing forward for another goal that could begin to make things interesting.

YELLOW CARD! Alonso goes into the book for a block on Pedro. Those will always get yellow cards, although in fairness to Alonso he had very little time to get out of the way.

YELLOW CARD! Rode joins Alonso in the book, taking one for the team to bring Messi down.

SHOT! Lewandowski has looked dangerous in the second half and he has another shooting chance here, taking the ball down on the edge of the box before improvising an effort that flies past the post.

YELLOW CARD! The cards are racking up at the moment! Pedro is the latest to be put in the book by Mark Clattenburg.

BAYERN SUBS: Bayern make their final two changes as Muller and Schweinsteiger depart to be replaced by Mario Gotze and Javi Martinez.

Well, there will be no miraculous comeback, but Bayern have restored some pride at least in this second half. There is no doubt that Barca have taken their foot off the pedal in this second half, but Bayern's attitude has been good and they look like ending their four-match losing streak.

There will be three minutes of added time at the end of this match.

Brilliant defending from Alves to deny Gotze a superb goal. A quick throw found Lewandowski on the edge, and his clever back-heel almost sent Gotze clean through inside the box. However, Alves tracked the run and made a fine last-ditch challenge.

CHANCE! Huge chance for Barcelona to cap things off as Neymar gets in behind the defence and only has Neuer to beat. Despite being on a hat-trick he opts to square it for Messi, but the ball is just a yard too far in front of the Argentine. That was a golden opportunity.

FULL TIME: Bayern Munich 3-2 Barcelona (Barca win 5-3 on aggregate)

BARCELONA REACH THE FINAL OF THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE!

Mark Clattenburg brings the second half to an end and it is Bayern Munich who win on the night to end their losing run, but it is not enough for them to progress to the final of the Champions League. Instead, Barcelona book their spot in the Berlin final courtesy of a 5-3 aggregate victory, with the tie wrapped up inside the second half of this second leg.

The opening goal came from the hosts to raise hope of overturning their 3-0 first-leg deficit as Benatia nodded home unmarked from a corner. Barcelona soon regained their three-goal aggregate advantage with an away goal, however, as Neymar swept the ball home after unselfish play by Suarez. The same duo combined to put the visitors ahead too, with Neymar again finishing Suarez's pass. Bayern fought back in the second half as Barca took their foot off the pedal, but goals from Lewandowski and Muller were not enough in the end.

That is all we have time for this evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for what has been a truly spectacular Champions League semi-final between these two great sides. I will leave you with our match report of this evening's games, and be sure to stick around for reaction, analysis and player ratings. We also have the second leg of Real Madrid vs. Juventus covered for you tomorrow, so check back in for that! From me, though, it is goodbye for now!

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Barcelona's Argentinian forward Lionel Messi (R) scores a goal during the UEFA Champions League football match FC Barcelona vs FC Bayern Muenchen at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on May 6, 2015
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League Phase

TeamPWDLPTS
1Liverpool660018
2Barcelona650115
3B. Leverkusen641113
4Inter Milan641113
5Brest641113
6Arsenal641113
7Aston Villa641113
8Lille641113
9Bayern640212
10Dortmund640212
11Atletico640212
12AC Milan640212
13Atalanta632111
14Juventus632111
15Benfica631210
16Feyenoord631210
17Brugge631210
18Monaco631210
19Sporting Lisbon631210
20Real Madrid63039
21Celtic62319
22Man City62228
23PSV62228
24Dinamo Zagreb62228
25PSG62137
26Stuttgart62137
27Shakhtar61144
28Sparta Prague61144
29Sturm Graz61053
30Girona61053
31Red Star61053
32Salzburg61053
33Bologna60242
34RB Leipzig60060
35Slovan Bratislava60060
36Young Boys60060


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