Jerome Boateng is a formidable defender. He was widely regarded as the best player on the pitch in the 2014 FIFA World Cup final. A year after picking up his World Cup winners' medal, he played for Bayern Munich in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final against Barcelona at the Camp Nou. He was 26 years old, at the peak of his powers.
With less than a quarter of an hour left in the match, the teams were still tied scoreless. Then Leo Messi struck. In the 77th minute, he got a pass from Dani Alves and rifled it into the net from outside the box.