Barcelona books place in Champions League final as valiant Bayern falls well short

Bayern Munich tried. They really did.

For a fleeting moment, mission impossible - overturning a 3-0 deficit from the opening leg of their Champions League semifinal against Barcelona - didn't seem like an impossibility at all.

And then the Spanish giants, as if a switch was flicked on, crushed that hope with ruthless efficiency.

Barcelona spotted their hosts a lead within the opening ten minutes of Tuesday's contest at the Allianz Arena, but two first-half goals from Neymar quickly overturned that deficit. Despite second-half goals from Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Muller, that was enough to ensure the Blaugrana will indeed take their place in the Champions League final for the first time since 2011.

Good effort, Bayern. A 3-2 victory over Barcelona, even if they took their foot off the pedal in the second half, is nothing to scoff at. At least you made it (somewhat) interesting.

In the end, of course, it wasn't enough.

Here's what you need to know ...

• The 22 men who started the first leg in Spain last week were all on the pitch once again for the opening whistle on Tuesday, as both Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique opted for the same starting lineups they utilized at the Camp Nou.

• Bayern's supporters unveiled a beautiful, stadium-wide tifo ahead of the contest, displaying the words "One city, one dream" in the center of the Allianz Arena stands.

• Bayern Munich 1, Barcelona 0: Intrigue. The hosts always needed an early goal to have any real hopes of making this a contest, and they got exactly that from, of all people, Mehdi Benatia. The big central defender rose, unchallenged, to meet a corner in the seventh minute. He powered a low header beyond Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, who could only get a hand to the ball.

• Bayern Munich 1, Barcelona 1: Intrigue over. It was fun while it lasted. Naturally, it was Barcelona's three-headed monster that killed the joy of the home fans a mere eight minutes after Benatia's opener. Lionel Messi to Luis Suarez, Suarez to Neymar, Neymar to the back of the net. Just like that.

• Barcelona 2, Bayern Munich 1: You can only sit back and admire what very well may be the best attacking trio of all time. Even if you're a Bayern supporter. Neymar, again set up by Suarez, scored his second goal of the match in the 29th minute, this time firing a low drive beyond Manuel Neuer after Barcelona once again broke Bayern's high press.

• To say the Brazilian attacker is enjoying himself of late would be somewhat of an understatement ...

• How awe-inspiring are the Blaugrana this season? They're earning the admiration of everyone, including their peers, which - as some say - is the utmost sign of respect.

• Messi isn't the only one who can humiliate Bayern Munich defenders. His superhuman powers were apparently transferred to Suarez at some point over the last seven days, judging by this ridiculous evisceration of Benatia.

(Courtesy: Sportsnet)

• Bayern looked as though they had equalized through Lewandowski late in the opening half, but Ter Stegen, doing his best impression of an octopus, had other ideas. Eat your heart out, Neuer.

Second half

• Bayern Munich 2, Barcelona 2: Lewandowski did his best to inject some excitement into an otherwise drab second half, scoring a stunning goal in the 59th minute to bring the contest level. The Polish striker tiptoed beyond Javier Mascherano, shimmying left and then right, before curling home a sweet strike into the bottom corner. Ter Stegen, his nemesis in the first half, couldn't keep this one out.

• The goal was little more than consolation, but it did add to the 26-year-old's impressive scoring record in the semifinals of Europe's premier club competition.

• Bayern Munich 3, Barcelona 2: Muller got in on the scoring action in the 74th minute. Devoting more time to a goal of such little consequence wouldn't do anybody any good. Let's move on, shall we?

• The most important development in the second half was the introduction of Barcelona icon Xavi. Upon his substitution into the match, he took his place atop a mountain that many a legendary player has scaled in the past.

• Barcelona will now await the result of tomorrow's contest between bitter rivals Real Madrid and Italian champions Juventus to learn who will provide the opposition in the Champions League final June 6 in Berlin.