Six years since 2–8. An anniversary Barcelona probably left off the calendar

Yesterday marked exactly six years since one of those evenings that rarely makes the club’s nostalgic “on this day” posts. On 14 August 2020, Barcelona were beaten 8–2 by Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-final in Lisbon. Bayern were already 4–1 up at half-time, and UEFA still lists it as Barça’s heaviest defeat in European competition.

The details somehow make it worse. Thomas Müller scored twice, with Perišić, Gnabry, Kimmich and Lewandowski also finding the net. Then came the finishing touch: Philippe Coutinho, on loan at Bayern from Barcelona, scored Bayern’s seventh and eighth goals. It was also the first time Barça had conceded eight in a match since 1946. If you are going to collapse, apparently you might as well make it historic.

And then there is Hansi Flick. He was Bayern’s coach that night. Six years later, he is sitting on the Barcelona bench, having extended his contract until 2028. The man who oversaw one of the most brutal nights in the club’s history was eventually hired to lead its rebuild. Football occasionally writes satire better than we can.