Uefa Champions League: Barcelona 3-0 Bayern Munich - as it happened

Bayern have it all to do when these two teams reconvene at the Allianz Arena on 12 May.

They have come back from one sizable deficit already in this season's Champions League but, with all due respect to Porto, Barcelona are a different proposition entirely.

That is it for now, goodnight and thanks for joining us. We hoped you enjoyed that as much as we did.

What a finish from the hosts.

With the game seemingly petering out into a draw and Bayern inching closer to the chance to take a handy 0-0 scoreline back to Munich, magical Messi takes his all-time Champions League tally to 77 goals with a delightful brace, Neymar adds a pivotal third and Guardiola looks furious but can surely have no complaints.

While Bayern looked to be coping better with Barcelona's menacing front three for a time in that second half, there is just no legislating for that sort of quality and the Bundesliga champions did not pose enough of their own threat going forward.

Full-time

Barcelona 3-0 Bayern Munich

A hugely significant third for Barcelona and they take a giant step towards the final in Berlin.

Schweinsteiger cuts down Suarez as the Uruguayan scampers forward on the counter, but the challenge comes too late as Neymar takes the ball and bursts clear before coolly slotting the ball between Neuer's legs.

Tie over?

Goal: Barcelona 3-0 Bayern Munich (Neymar)

Bayern have really struggled to find any fluency since going behind. A lazy lofted ball forward is cut out and Barcelona are out on the break once again.

Four minutes of added time to be played. The next goal in this two-legged affair will be crucial.

Just two minutes of normal time remaining and Marc Bartra replaces Javier Mascherano in a like-for-like change in the heart of defence.

Can Bayern grab a crucial away goal or will Barcelona put this tie out of sight?

A few changes have been made in the last few minutes, with Barcelona replacing Rakitic and Iniesta with Xavi and Rafinha.

Mario Gotze is on for Bayern at the expense of Muller.

With Bayern still reeling, Messi makes them pay once again. This time he collects the ball from Rakitic, leaves Boateng flat on his backside with a lovely piece of quick-footed skill before drawing out Neuer and beating him wonderfully with a delicate chip. Just brilliant.

Suarez then has a chance for a third but shoots over the bar with his right foot after being played in by Neymar.

Goal: Barcelona 2-0 Bayern Munich (Lionel Messi)

Moments after Neymar is denied a penalty after a tug from Rahinha, Barcelona break the deadlock.

Bernat is caught in possession too easily down Bayern's left, Dani Alves breaks forward and finds Messi who wraps a left-footed effort past Neuer from the edge of the box. Deserved.

Goal: Barcelona 1-0 Bayern Munich (Lionel Messi)

A slight scare for Barcelona as Thiago's long-range shot is deflected by Iniesta but dealt with by a sprawling Ter Stegen.

At the other end, Suarez looks confused as he curls a pass to the back post but not a soul in red and blue is there to take advantage.

The cards are beginning to pile up now. Neymar, still irritated that he did not win a free-kick when felled by Thiago moments earlier, is cautioned after upending Muller.

Incensed at the decision, he angrily confronts referee Rizzoli before the situation is eventually defused. Not a wise move.

A heavy sliding tackle from Pique floors Lewandowski and earns the Spaniard a yellow.

Another free-kick in a decent position for Bayern results in Busquets heading behind for a corner.

Barcelona beginning to turn the screw again here. Rakitic feeds Neymar on the left-hand side of the Bayern box and the former Santos star cuts inside on his right foot before losing composure and lashing a shot over the bar.

A full hour has now elapsed at the Nou Camp. Chances have been at a premium in this second half, but that nearly changes as Suarez looks to play in Neymar with a neat lofted pass.

Neuer comes rampaging out of his area to cut off the danger. The sweeper keeper in all his glory, there. When it works, he looks masterful.

More fluid football from Barcelona between Neymar and Messi ends with the latter shooting straight at Neuer.

When this front three of Enrique's clicks, there is really little anyone can do about it.

Bayern have started this second half far more confidently than they did the first, although admittedly that probably is not difficult.

Mehdi Benatia the latest name to be taken by the referee after he stopped the run of Iniesta as the Spaniard came streaming forward.

A yellow card for Dani Alves as he pulls back Lewandowski on the edge of the Barcelona box. Alonso sends the free-kick into the wall.

Suarez and Messi get us back underway. Will the second half match the sheer intensity of the first? Surely Bayern cannot cope with much more of what we witnessed before the break.

Away from this game, the latest football news coming out of Spain is that domestic competition in the country is being suspended past 16 May due to an ongoing dispute concerning many issues including TV rights.

The Spanish federation has released a statement to confirm and we will have more on this to follow.

And breathe.

That was quite a first 45 minutes and despite the lack of goals, you cannot fail to have been entertained by the standard of football on display.

Barcelona have been on top for the most part, moving the ball with energy and purpose. Only the repeated excellence of Neuer has kept Suarez, Messi and co at bay thus far.

Bayern have looked a touch more assured since abandoning that self-destructive defensive system but they have only really created one clear-cut chance of note and that was spurned by Lewandowski.

Guardiola's side are being relentlessly hounded in possession and can count themselves slightly fortunate to still be on level terms.

Half-time

Barcelona 0-0 Bayern Munich

Neuer to the rescue again for Bayern. Dani Alves this time poses the threat after chesting down a chipped pass from Andres Iniesta but the German goalkeeper is quick off his line and saves the subsequent low shot with his feet.

Rakitic then fires wide from distance.

Xabi Alonso is fulfilling something of a protector's role in front of the back four for Bayern and he is the first player to be yellow carded after Messi is tripped.

A whipped, left-footed free-kick from the diminutive forward is comfortably held by Neuer.

Thiago curls an effort towards goal that Bastian Schweinsteiger tries in vain to head before it drifts wide of Marc-Andre Ter Stegen's left-hand post.

No goals so far as we approach the 30-minute mark, but as 0-0 games go this is certainly up there with the best of them so far. The tempo is just relentless.

With all of Barcelona's attacking panache, a simple header from a corner due to slack marking would have been a particularly frustrating way to go behind for Bayern.

A vital intervention from Boateng, who diverts the ball over his own crossbar after Jordi Alba ran onto a gorgeous lofted pass from Sergio Busquets before trying to find Messi with the cross.

Suarez heads just over from the resulting corner.

Well, that certainly did not take long. After an early onslaught, Guardiola has looked to stem the tide by dropping Rafinha into right-back and reverting to a back four.

A first real chance of the evening for Bayern as Thomas Muller outmuscles Jordi Alba before playing a low cross towards Lewandowski. He tries to turn it home with his left foot but fails to make a convincing contact.

It is hard to take your eyes off this for a second.

Another opportunity for Barcelona as Suarez stays on his feet, hurdles the challenge of Boateng before playing the ball across the face of the six-yard box towards a waiting Neymar.

The Brazilian's shot is deflected wide by compatriot Rafinha and Bayern survive.

This has been a breathless start, with Bayern only fielding a back three against the brilliance of Neymar, Messi and Suarez. A brave and potentially reckless call from Guardiola.

There is so much space for Barcelona to attack and they do so again as Suarez breaks clear following a Messi flick-on and looks certain to score until the commanding Neuer saves with his right foot.

A let-off for Bayern as Suarez shoots straight at Neuer after being set-up nicely by Messi. The Argentine has been at his nimble best in these early stages, with Ivan Rakitic also providing a moment of real skill.

Juan Bernat leads a break for Bayern but he is stopped in his tracks as he looks to enter the opposition area. He wants a free-kick but again the Italian official is unmoved.

Barcelona pressing relentlessly high up the pitch as Bayern look to assert themselves early on.

Suarez is unhappy with referee Nicola Rizzoli as he felt he was impeded in the penalty area by Jerome Boateng as he raced in pursuit of a through ball.

Nothing given, though, and Manuel Neuer collects.

We are underway at the Nou Camp. This should be an occasion to savour.

Guardiola has taken a seat in the correct dugout after embracing former teammate Enrique, so things have begun well in that respect.

He will know all about the danger Barcelona pose and while his former club have changed their style of play somewhat since his departure, they are still capable of turning on the style with their dazzling array of midfielders/attackers.

Bayern secured their third consecutive Bundesliga title last month, yet they have endured somewhat a mini-blip over the last week with a penalty shootout defeat to Dortmund - in which Guardiola's men missed every single one of their spotkicks - followed by a 2-0 loss at Bayer Leverkusen.

They were surprisingly beaten 3-1 in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie against FC Porto, but ruthlessly overturned that deficit with a mesmerising display of firepower at the Allianz Arena that saw five different players register on the scoresheet in a 6-1 triumph.

Kick-off is under five minutes away now and the anticipation is certainly rising as a colourful motif declaring 'We are ready' is visible in the stands.

Having said that, Enrique's side are in blistering form at the moment and put eight past Cordoba on 2 May courtesy of a hat-trick from Suarez and a brace from the irrepressible Messi.

That victory came just days after Barcelona had beaten Getafe 6-0 and the La Liga leaders are on a mightily impressive run of six consecutive victories in all competitions.

They have not actually conceded a goal since Gregory van der Wiel scored a late consolation for Paris Saint-Germain during a 3-1 defeat in the first leg of the quarter-finals.

The last time they lost was in February, when they were narrowly defeated 1-0 by Malaga.

Given the quality and stature of the two teams on display tonight, you get the feeling this first leg will either be a very cautious and nervy low-scoring affair or an all-out goalfest in which both teams showcase the full extent of their considerable attacking talent with little in between.

If anyone has reason to be mindful though, it's Barcelona. The last time these two sides met in 2013, Bayern, then managed by Jupp Heynckes, won the home leg 4-0 before scoring three without reply at the Nou Camp to set up a Wembley final date against Dortmund.

Guardiola is not the only current Bayern employee to be making his return to Catalonia this evening.

Starting in the visitors' midfield is one-time Manchester United Thiago Alcantara, who joined Barcelona's renowned La Masia academy as a teenager and made over 100 appearances for the club at reserve and senior level before agreeing to join the Bundesliga champions in 2013 in a bid to feature more regularly for his country.

Bayern are without the quartet of Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery, Holger Badstuber and David Alaba for this one, but leading striker Robert Lewandowski is fit to start after suffering both concussion and a fractured jaw during the German Cup semi-final defeat to Borussia Dortmund.

It appears the Polish international is going to sport a prospective facemask and will surely be praying that he receives no further blows to the head tonight.

Neither Guardiola nor Luis Enrique have sprung any last-minute surprises with their respective team selections.

Barcelona are once again led by the formidable attacking trio of Neymar, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, while Javier Mascherano continues in a central defensive berth alongside Gerard Pique.

On the bench for the hosts tonight is Thomas Vermaelen. The former Arsenal captain has endured a torrid time with a hamstring injury since moving to La Liga last summer and if he appears as a substitute tonight it will mark his very first appearance for the club.

Barcelona: Ter Stegen, Alves, Pique, Mascherano, Alba, Busquets, Iniesta, Rakitic, Suarez, Messi, Neymar

Subs: Bravo, Rafinha, Bartra, Adriano, Vermaelen, Xavi, Pedro

Bayern Munich: Neuer, Rafinha, Boateng, Benatia, Bernat, Lahm, Schweinsteiger, Alonso, Thiago, Muller, Lewandowski

Subs: Reina, Dante, Martinez, Gaudino, Gotze, Weiser, Pizarro

Hello and welcome to the second of IBTimes UK's two live Champions League semi-final blogs this week.

Yesterday, we saw a Carlos Tevez penalty secure Juventus a 2-1 first-leg victory over Real Madrid and tonight it is the turn of arguably the two best teams in Europe to go toe-to-toe as Bayern Munich travel to the Nou Camp to face Barcelona.

This fixture is sure to prove an emotional occasion for a certain Pep Guardiola, who returns for the very first time to the club where he spent 17 years as a player and a further four as manager before eventually departing in 2012.

Breaking team news and live updates to follow...