Barcelona 4 Stuttgart 0 (agg 5-1): Messi magic inspires
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Barcelona 4 Stuttgart 0 (agg 5-1): Lionel Messi magic inspires as holders cruise
Leo Messi dazzled the Nou Camp last night as Barcelona survived the last-16 curse which has claimed three holders in the last four years.
Manchester United, the only other holders to have made it into the quarter-finals since 2005, will hope to avoid them in tomorrow’s draw.
Barca coach Pep Guardiola said: ‘If only Manchester United have done it in the last few years it is for a reason. It is difficult and we have done it.’
Messi was at his brilliant best and Stuttgart coach Christian Gross said: ‘I think we can start comparing him to Maradona.’
The toast of Catalunya: Lionel Messi struck a brace as the holders sailed into the last eight
Guardiola sprung a surprise by leaving out Zlatan Ibrahimovic. This allowed Messi to operate through the middle and the Argentine scored his 31st and 32nd goals of the season to make it eight in four games.
Guardiola added: ‘Last year we won six titles and he played wide but we need him involved and sometimes he sees more of the ball when he plays more in the centre. But he is the best, wherever he plays.’
Rampant: Barcelona players mob Pedro
The Nou Camp crowd turned up the volume and, on 13 minutes, they had a first goal to enjoy. Messi took a pass from Yaya Toure, carried the ball to the edge of the Stuttgart area and, with a swing of his left boot, flashed a shot into Jens Lehmann’s top right-hand corner.
Messi turned provider in the 21st minute, clipping a perfect diagonal ball across the box for Toure. He squared for Pedro to convert from close range, making it 2-0 on the night and 3-1 on aggregate.
Small but perfectly formed: Lionel Messi strikes the opening goal
Messi extended the lead on the hour. Dani Alves touched the ball on and the Argentina star spun away from Gebhart before firing past Lehmann from 20 yards.
Bojan’s 88th-minute strike completed an easy win.
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they are the team to beat..
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Originally posted by iceFatboy:
they are the team to beat..
:)
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Man Utd got no chance................even with 2 Rooneys.............
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to beat barce. need a strong defense and a solid midfield. need to hit them on the break. chelsea can do that but too bad they are out. the team left in the competition onli man u look like the one who can beat them with a solid defense. midfield maybe might lose out a little but overall there a chances. it will be interesting arsenal vs barce too. although arsenal lose to barce in all dept. but i believe there arsenal fast passing will win their control passing.
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Originally posted by DemonFox:
to beat barce. need a strong defense and a solid midfield. need to hit them on the break. chelsea can do that but too bad they are out. the team left in the competition onli man u look like the one who can beat them with a solid defense. midfield maybe might lose out a little but overall there a chances. it will be interesting arsenal vs barce too. although arsenal lose to barce in all dept. but i believe there arsenal fast passing will win their control passing.
MU tried but lost even with Ronaldo inside. So it is tough.
Cause this team has been around for a while.
I think it is their cup to lose.
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last season MU dun have flecter that break up their attack. but i tink valencia wont be a threat to barce defense. just watch the replay barce players runs off the ball is simply top class
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Barcelona is a tough team to beat
surely they can go finals ... -
he is on fire...
just scored 3 with valencia now 2 more..
simply the best~
i will LOL if barce n inter goes to final.. and eto score goals.
haha.
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The ball is magnet to messi feet when he dribbles.