Arsenal fans may have feared the worst ahead to the Gunners' trip to Munich, but few would have expected the abject second half surrender they witnessed at the Allianz Arena as their team, under the increasingly rudderless direction of Arsene Wenger, were battered black and blue by a Bayern Munich side who can already plan for their Champions League quarter-final.
Forget about a miracle in the second leg next month; on the evidence of last night's craven capitulation Arsenal will be lucky to beat Sutton United next week.
What unfolded in the Allianz Arena was, in the opinion of former Arsenal defender turned BT Sport pundit Martin Keown, the lowest point in Arsene Wenger's 20-year managerial career at the Emirates.
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His side actually put up a fight for the first 45 minutes, holding the Germans to 1-1 at the interval, after Alexis Sanchez had equalised from the penalty spot following Arjen Robben's brilliant strike on 11 minutes. But after Laurent Koscielny went off injured five minutes into the second-half, Bayern moved through the gears, scoring three goals in a ten-minute spell during which the Gunners barely touched the ball.
The gulf in quality, in class, in composure, was astonishing to behold, incontrovertible evidence that the Arsenal squad assembled by Wenger in the last few seasons is simply not good enough.
How many of Wenger's men would make the Bayern XI? None, although on last night's performance David Ospina would be a capable back-up to Manuel Neuer. The Colombian was quite brilliant in the face of the Bayern onslaught, making a series of superb stops (one a sensational instinct save at point-blank range from Javi Martinez) to save his side from even greater humiliation.
But even Ospina at his finest couldn't prevent Robert Lewandowski and Thiago (twice) scoring three goals in a devastating spell early in the second-half.
Thomas Muller's low drive shortly after coming on as a substitute put the match, and the tie, to bed, as Bayern notched up their 16th consecutive home win in the Champions League, the longest winning run in the history of the competition.
Arsenal also entered the record books although this is one honour that won't be engraved on a board - they're the first English team to concede 200 Champions League goals.
"We collapsed," said a dejected Wenger. "It is difficult to explain... I felt we had two good chances to score just before half time. I felt we were unlucky for the second goal the referee gave a corner for us at first. Then we concede the second goal and then the most important was that we lost Koscielny."
While Wenger refrained from overt criticism of his side, former players lined up to lay into Arsenal. "Arsenal have completely disintegrated," tweeted Gary Lineker. "An utter shambles."
"They looked spineless," said former England and Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand on BT Sport. "There was no fight or aggression. You want to see fire in their belly and that's the most disheartening thing for me."
His fellow pundit, Martin Keown, agreed: "I feel for Arsene Wenger. It's almost embarrassing. Outclassed, outplayed. [Bayern] did it at a canter. Wenger has to be seriously considering his future now because it's embarrassing. I can't ever say I'd like to see him go - this is his lowest point ever Arsenal manager... This brings forward the change that looks likely at the end of the season."
When he was asked if it was indeed his worst moment as Arsenal manager, Wenger replied: "How I feel I don't think is the most important but of course it is disappointing."
There was also the inevitable question as to whether he believes in second leg miracles. "We have to recover first and focus on the next game," he said.
That's at Sutton on Monday evening. The non-league boys will be licking their lips.
