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Barcelona destroyed Bayern Munich 4-0 in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final at the Camp Nou.

Goals from Lionel Messi (2), Samuel Eto'o and Thierry Henry left Juergen Klinsmann's team reeling at the break, but they dug in and managed to keep the Catalan club at bay in the second period.

It was a stunning first-half showing by the home team. From the first moments Bayern could not get the ball off an energised Barca, with the ball going through talismanic right-sided attacker Messi almost every minute.

The first chance was won by Henry after he drifted across from the left to a central position.

Right-back-cum-attacker Dani Alves found Xavi and the midfielder threaded a lovely ball through to spring the offside trap; Henry went wide of Hans-Joerg Butt in the visiting goal, but saw his shot from an angle cleared off the line by Martin Demichelis.

The experienced Argentine defender was left exposed time and time again by left-back Christian Lell, who was unable to prevent Messi and Barca's several other attack-minded players infiltrating the backline.

After only nine minutes Pep Guardiola's side took the lead through Messi. Andres Iniesta wheeled across the final third and got the ball to Eto'o, who played in the young Argentina star; he characteristically finished low inside the far post.

Barely three further minutes passed before it was two: Eto'o sprinted through on to a clever reverse pass by Messi and finished under Butt to send the home fans wild. Bayern appealed in vain for an offside flag, and indeed the Cameroon striker was level when the ball was played.

The crowd and Guardiola exploded when Messi went down under a challenge from Lell and English referee Howard Webb issued a yellow card, ruling that he had dived. The coach was sent to the stands after continuing to remonstrate with the fourth official; there was contact, but Messi went to ground easily.

Butt was caught full in the face by Henry's studs after the France striker slipped as he shot wide having been put through on goal by the excellent Iniesta. After a long stoppage he continued - with stud marks and bruises evident upon the right side of his features.

Visiting star Franck Ribery was frustrated and furious by turns as his team-mates failed to provide him with the ball. Barcelona enjoyed almost 70 per cent possession in both halves, typically starving their opponents of the ball.

There were no further clear-cut chances until the 37th minute when Messi tried to go through a gaggle of defenders in the box; he was dispossessed but won the ball back and teed up Eto'o, whose strike from 12 yards whistled just over.

If that was a warning of more to come, the sucker-punch arrived less than 60 seconds later through Messi. Henry did brilliantly to attack down the left and square into the six-yard box, where the ball was diverted into the goal via the arriving Lell and Messi.

Henry made it four before the break. Messi scampered across the penalty area and found Alves, whose flick went to Eto'o; former Barca midfielder Mark van Bommel tackled him and the ball ran to Henry, who finished superbly inside the far post low down with his left foot.

Messi was hurt in the incident as Van Bommel blocked him off side-first, but okay to continue.

In the second period Lell was cautioned for hacking down the twinkle-toed Messi; Demichelis also went into the book for a late tackle on Eto'o while Barca defender Rafael Marquez will miss the second leg after he was penalised for time-wasting late on.

Messi saw a shot tipped on to the bar by Butt as Barcelona continued to dominate without needing to get out of second gear. They could have been punished when Ze Roberto failed to control with a path to goal opening before him, while home captain Carles Puyol later blocked superbly as the Brazilian shaped to shoot eight yards out.

Iniesta moved into the attack after Henry was replaced by midfielder Seydou Keita and could have had a couple of goals.

With Klinsmann looking sick as a dog on the touchline, Luca Toni fell over in the box and looked around for a penalty with Marquez a yard away from him; the desperation in his face summed up Bayern's night.

They will have it all to do in Munich's Allianz Arena next Tuesday.

Jonathan Symcox / Eurosport