Barcelona vs. Bayern Munich: Score, Grades from 2015 Champions League Semi-Final

Lionel Messi scored a brace inside the final 15 minutes to give Barcelona a deserved 3-0 win over Bayern Munich in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final.

The two giants of European football remained scoreless until two moments of brilliance from the Argentina international turned the tie on its head, with Bayern now needing a massive performance at the Allianz Arena in the return leg. Neymar added a third goal in injury time.

Manu Fernandez/Associated Press

The hosts started the match at a frantic pace and were begging for a penalty just minutes into the match as Jerome Boateng barged into Luis Suarez inside the box. The referee was unmoved, however, but the fast start was a clear indication Barcelona meant business.

Robert Lewandowski tried his luck from distance before Suarez tested Manuel Neuer for the first time with a low, driving effort. The Uruguay international spotted Neymar inside the box just minutes later, but the Brazilian's deflection bounced harmlessly wide of the goal.

Samuel Marsden of Sport alluded to how quickly the ball was moving up and down the pitch:

Some great work from Thomas Muller left Lewandowski unguarded, but the Polish international's header missed the mark completely. Meanwhile, Bayern manager Pep Guardiola had shifted from a back three to a back four, but the Blaugrana continued to push. Messi produced a beautiful bit of skill to find space, firing wide of the target.

Barcelona had chance after chance but simply couldn't put the ball past Neuer, who once again showed why he was among the nominees for last year's Ballon d'Or. Bleacher Report UK soon found an explanation for his fantastic performance:

When Messi took a free-kick from a dangerous area and produced a fine curling effort, Neuer perhaps best illustrated his incredible play. Somehow, the German managed to simply pluck the ball from the air and launch a counter-attack.

Gianlucadimarzio.com's David Amoyal was stunned:

Dani Alves forced the Germany international into another fine save, as the Catalans were now clearly the better team. Their incredible energy made for an entertaining match, but at half-time, the score was still 0-0.

Bleacher Report UK voiced what everyone was thinking:

The Bavarians were determined to come out and perform better in the second half, and just minutes after the restart, Alves was forced to bring down Lewandowski in a dangerous position, receiving a yellow card for his troubles.

Barcelona didn't lean back, however, and they continued to venture deep into the Bayern half. This stat from Squawka was telling:

Neymar and Messi combined well to isolate the latter, but to the surprise of no one, the Argentinian star found Neuer blocking his path to goal. Suarez was the next man to find himself with some open space behind the defence, but Neuer came charging off his line to clear the ball.

Bleacher Report's Dan Levy gave his take:   

Bayern were still combining well in midfield but lacked a creative spark in the attacking third, and Barcelona grew more and more comfortable sending men forward.

The goal finally came after 77 minutes, as Messi took a pass from Alves and calmly slotted the ball into the net from the edge of the box.

The Telegraph's Henry Winter was full of praise for the four-time Ballon d'Or winner:

Guardiola responded by introducing Mario Gotze, but just moments later, Messi doubled Barcelona's lead. Gliding past Jerome Boateng, who almost looked as if he wasn't there, he chipped the ball over a rushing Neuer to pass Cristiano Ronaldo on the Champions League's scorers' list, per Squawka:

Even NBA star Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers was in awe:

Things got even worse for the Bavarians in injury time, as Barcelona launched Neymar on the counter-attack, and he all but finished the tie with an easy goal.

Bayern were powerless to stop Messi and failed to score that all-important away goal, meaning they will have a mountain to climb when they host the Catalans at the Allianz Arena in the return leg Tuesday. 

Barcelona were dominant on the ball on Wednesday but lacked a certain sharpness in the attacking third, and without Neuer, the Bavarians could very well have lost by four or more goals. Guardiola will need to find an answer to his side's lack of creativity in a hurry because Barcelona won't defend for 90 minutes when they come to Germany.

Relevant Player Grades

Lionel Messi: A

Messi wasn't even having such a great night until Alves stole the ball and played him in with just 15 minutes left to play. But as the greats do so often, the Argentinian stepped up when his team needed him the most. His first goal broke the deadlock; his second was a dazzling display of sheer quality.

It was not a perfect performance from Messi, but he had two very, very important goals.

Manuel Neuer: A

Poor Neuer. The Bayern stopper did everything he could to make sure this match would end in a scoreless draw, and with 15 minutes left on the clock, it looked as if he would succeed. Alas, even he couldn't stop Messi on Wednesday. 

Ivan Rakitic: B+

Barcelona's heart and soul in midfield, Rakitic, was the biggest reason for Bayern's struggles in the first half and their lack of true chances in the second. The Croatian did his defensive duties with real intensity and contributed in the attacking third as well—a great performance.

Post-Match Reaction

Gerard Pique, star defender for the Blaugrana, had nothing but praise for Messi, who once again was decisive in a major match, per Barcastuff:

"

Pique: "Guardiola was right: If Messi is at his best, he's unstoppable. His second goal was spectacular." #fcblive

— barcastuff (@barcastuff) May 6, 2015"

Manager Luis Enrique thought the result was "perfect," although he warned his players the tie isn't over yet:

"

Luis Enrique: "It's a perfect result, it brings us closer to the final, but we should confirm this in the second leg." #fcblive

— barcastuff (@barcastuff) May 6, 2015"

Meanwhile, Guardiola refused to comment on whether the final score was an accurate reflection of the play on the pitch:

"

Guardiola (coach Bayern): "Of course we're sad. The talent of Barça's players has made the difference. Fair result? Don't know..."

— barcastuff (@barcastuff) May 6, 2015"

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