'Historic humiliation': Spanish media flay Barca after Bayern debacle

Catalans lost to Bayern Munich in quarter-final of the UEFA Champions League

BARCELONA:

The Spanish media showed no mercy to Barcelona after their epic 8-2 defeat by Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals, calling for huge changes at the club after a night that will be difficult to erase from their memory.

'Historic humiliation', cried the cover of Barcelona-based newspaper Sport, adding: 'A ridiculous Barca suffered its biggest defeat in Europe, ending a lamentable season without a trophy for the first time in 12 years.'

Daily Mundo Deportivo described the defeat on its cover as 'A shameful end to an era', also declaring that coach Quique Setien would be immediately sacked as coach and that president Josep Maria Bartomeu would call an election imminently.

National newspaper AS used the same headline as Sport, adding: 'The disaster against Barca opens up a crisis with far-reaching consequences at every level of the club.'

Marca used the word 'shame' on its cover, adding that Setien, who was hired in January to try and restore some style and flair to the team, had 'one foot and a half out of the door'.

Sport gave defender Nelson Semedo a rating of one out of 10 after he was tormented by Alphonso Davies in the build-up to the fifth goal scored by Joshua Kimmich. It gave Setien a rating of zero, adding: 'He cannot spend one more day in Barca's dugout.'

AS also said Setien's days at the club were numbered, adding that former Tottenham Hotspur coach Mauricio Pochettino was waiting in the wings, despite previously saying he would never coach Barca due to his loyalty to former club Espanyol.

Bayern's quiet overhaul complete

A year ago Bayern Munich had narrowly emerged as champions in one of the tightest Bundesliga title races, and ended up overhauling their ageing squad as veterans Franck Ribery, Arjen Robben and Rafinha left.

Fast forward 12 months and a leaner, stronger and faster Bayern are not only German league and Cup winners again but they produced one of the most remarkable displays in European soccer on Friday as they obliterated five-time European champions Barcelona 8-2 to reach the Champions League semi-finals.

Fluid in their movements and with an indefatigable desire to attack, Hansi Flick's team looks like it has been forged together over years of training.

Yet many of the elements of their success, including Flick, who took over a struggling Bayern in November, are new.

Following the departure of central defender Mats Hummels and serious early season injuries to defenders Niklas Suele and new signing Lucas Hernandez, defensive plans had to be redrawn.

Leftback David Alaba switched to the centre of the defence while teenager Alphonso Davies took control on the left.

Davies, playing his first full season at Bayern, was a sensation, terrorising attackers while also launching lightning-quick breaks.

One of those helped set up Bayern's fifth goal as the 19-year-old Canadian befuddled Nelson Semedo and set up Joshua Kimmich for the goal.

Flick also restored Thomas Mueller back to his favourite position behind striker Robert Lewandowski, plucking the World Cup-winning attacking midfielder from the bench where he had been dropped by predecessor Niko Kovac.

Mueller delivered in style with eight goals and 21 assists in the Bundesliga and he added two more goals in their demolition of Barca on Friday.

Mueller has also been leading the charge for early pressing, as Flick demanded they win possession much earlier than under Kovac.

Instilling confidence was also key in keeping Jerome Boateng at Bayern and maintaining Philippe Coutinho, on loan from Barca, in top form despite playing only a substitute role throughout the season.

The gifted Brazilian has struggled to earn playing time but was on target twice after coming on against Barca, oozing confidence.

"The way my players played over 90 minutes, the intensity which they maintained was just top," Flick said. "This is our mentality, that is what we stand for.

"Especially the way the players who came on adjusted seamlessly," Flick said in a nod to Coutinho.

With Bayern looking nothing like the team that crashed out in the round of 16 last year, they are now favourites to emulate their 2013 treble-winning season at Lisbon's Estadio da Luz next week and declare their project 'overhaul' completed.