Bayern Munich 4 Barcelona 0

 By Henry Winter, Football Correspondent at the Allianz Arena

This was both brutal and beautiful. This was Bayern Munich’s modern machine at its very best, full of fluid counter-attacking, intelligent running and the appliance of good technique at pace. Bayern pressed hard, broke cleverly and did to Lionel Messi and company what Barcelona have been doing to others for years. 

This was a rout. Barcelona could not get the ball, really only when picking it out of their net. 

Goals from the outstanding Thomas Müller twice, Mario Gomez and Arjen Robben heaped pain and embarrassment on Barcelona. 

Bayern were undoubtedly helped by some hapless officiating by the additional assistant referees, who missed an offside for Gomez’s goal and a clever block by Müller on Jordi Alba for Robben’s strike, but they were so good. All the best to Pep Guardiola trying to improve this lot. 

Bastian Schweinsteiger was immense in midfield alongside Javi Martinez, utterly controlling the central acres. Müller was Müller, socks slipping down, ambition always on the up. 

Robben delivered one of his finest performances. It was all in sad contrast to Messi, who was a shadow of his usual match-winning self. That hamstring injury clearly inhibited his movement and darkened his mood. 

News that Mario Gotze was on his way from Borussia Dortmund, with the expectation that Robert Lewandowski will follow in the summer of 2014, had lent an extra buzz to the Allianz which was soon treated to a marvellous performance from their resident idols. 

Arjen Robben, whose place will come under threat from Gotze, had a busy night, although wasting a wonderful chance from Javi Martinez’s back-heel which he placed straight at Victor Valdes. 

Robben worked hard throughout his shift, even tracking back, which might have come as a surprise to any Chelsea fans tuning in. 

Even before Müller’s 25th-minute goal, Bayern had soon shown the superb balance in their make-up, the strong, mobile defending, the tireless midfield ball-winning and fluid movement in attack. 

The fullbacks raced forward, David Alaba being picked out by Javi Martinez with a pass off-balance to the left. 

Philipp Lahm was making his typically sprightly runs down the right, being sent through into the box by Bastian Schweinsteiger and winning a corner. Threats came down all avenues, from corners and crosses, possession moves and sudden counters. 

Müller was initially in the Toni Kroos role, darting here and there, always looking like the lanky schoolboy whose socks were never pulled up. 

The youngster who helped take England apart in Bloemfontein in 2010 is even more of a varied, forceful, sustained talent now. He was soon moving across the front line of Heynckes’ 4-2-3-1 system, occasionally looking to go down the right, taking on Jordi Alba, then moving into the centre, assisting Gomez or appearing on the left, switching with Franck Ribery. 

He helped make and finish Bayern’s 25th-minute goal, initially controlling Robben’s ball deftly and rolling it back to the Dutchman on the right. 

Robben crossed first time, right-footed, towards Dante, who easily outjumped Dani Alves and headed towards the far-post. Müller’s stooping header did the rest, catching out the sluggish Valdes. 

The atmosphere had already been cranked up in the Allianz (or Fussball Arena Munched as the commercially-sensitive Uefa insist on calling it). AC/DC had almost rocked the stadium speakers off their hinges beforehand. Heaven knows what three-fifths of One Direction made of it (Zayn and Harry were otherwise engaged). 

The great European tour of the Champions League is heading for its final show at Wembley and all at Bayern, fans, players and the outgoing Jupp Heynckes, are determined to have their reward – “Unser Pokal” – after recent frustrations. 

What a legacy that would be for Heynckes’ successor, Pep Guardiola. 

He will inherit one of the most multi-talented, industrious central-midfield duo around in Schweinsteiger and Martinez. They kept pressing Xavi, Andres Ingesta and Lionel Messi, who had passed a late fitness test. 

They ventured everywhere hunting the ball. Schweinsteiger took the ball off Messi and Alves. Müller joined in, dispossessing Alexis Sanchez. Their constant forays were assisted by surprising carelessness by Barcelona. 

Marc Bartra gifted the ball to Bayern at one point. Messi, clearly unfit, was struggling to escape the roving German ambush parties and also the overwatered pitch. 

Outmuscled and outrun, Barcelona still managed one attempt on goal in the first half. Attacking the end housing a banner declaring “Pleasant Little Kingdom” (an episode of “Desperate Housewives” apparently), the newly-shorn Pique headed wide. 

Ingesta did find Pedro on the right but his cross was somehow cleared by Dante. Such was the confidence in this fine team of Heynckes’ that Ribery went on a long dribble across his own area. 

A corner four minutes into the second half brought more deserved reward for Bayern. From Robben’s corner, the outstanding Müller beat Alves and Sanchez and headed back across. 

Gomez had stolen away from Pique to volley in. He looked offside but the additional assistant referee saw nothing wrong. 

Bayern were in total charge and could have added more. Schweinsteiger whipped in a free kick that Robben headed wide. Barcelona were subdued, Messi’s travails clearly transmitting a message of concern to all the team. 

They looked to their usual catalyst, their serial matchwinner, and he didn’t seem right. Messi suddenly went on a run down the right but lacked the usual elegance, the usual burst of pace and effortless control. 

He was being easily closed down by Alaba and Schweinsteiger. It was sad to behold, like watching a favourite thoroughbred struggling with a fetlock problem. Messi’s body language carried echoes of Ronaldo in the final of France 98. He just wasn’t right. Messi did get a shot in, winning in a corner from which Bartra almost halved the deficit. 

Pique was then caught upfield and Bayern sped towards Valdes’ area. Ribery led the charge, touching the ball inside to Schweinsteiger, who momentarily considered shooting from 25 yards. Instead he played in Robben down the right, he cut inside, granted space by Müller’s NBA-style screen on Alba. 

Again the additional assistant referee was a spectator, refusing to indicate a foul. Robben’s finish was still super, placed past Valdes. 

Having lost the game and surely the tie, Barcelona lost their discipline. Bartra, Alba and even Iniesta received bookings for fouls. At the final whistle, a gleeful Robben vollied the ball into the jubilant crowd. Next stop for Bayern? Wembley, via Camp Nou.