Messi inspires Barca to thrilling comeback
Reuters - Tuesday 12 March 2013, 21:37
A
fired-up Lionel Messi answered his critics by inspiring Barcelona to a
sensational Champions League comeback against AC Milan on Tuesday with
two goals in a 4-0 home win to help them reach the quarter-finals.
A
rampant Barca, all-but written off after a surprise 2-0 reverse at
Milan's San Siro stadium in last month's last 16, first leg, came
storming back at the seven-times European Cup winners to progress 4-2 on
aggregate after a memorable night.
They
looked to Messi to spark a fightback and the four-times World Player of
the Year did not disappoint with a scintillating display backed up by
midfield trio Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets and full-backs
Jordi Alba and Daniel Alves.
Barca
were ahead at the Nou Camp in the fifth minute through Messi's
brilliant curling effort and the Argentina forward, who has suffered
rare criticism in recent weeks, levelled the tie on aggregate five
minutes before half-time with a low drive.
Barcelona
ruthlessly dominated, with Milan struggling to get the ball out of
their own half for long periods, and David Villa struck a third 10
minutes after the break before Jordi Alba netted a breakaway goal in the
second minute of added time.
Before
Alba's effort finally killed the tie, Milan had pressed forward looking
for the goal that could have sent them through and there was a palpable
release of tension in the giant arena when the Spain full-back's shot
hit the back of the net before the celebrations began in earnest.
Barca's
win makes them the first team in the Champions League to ever overturn a
two-goal first leg deficit without the benefit of an away goal while
only four sides had successfully fought back from a deficit of more than
one goal.
"We started really fired up, as you have seen," Villa told Spanish television.
"The
early goal helped us a lot, but it was something we looked for from the
first minute," added the Spain forward, who has struggled for form
since returning from a broken leg sustained at the end of 2011.
"We believed we could do it from the first minute, in fact from the final whistle of the last game," he said.
"We are delighted for the fans. We always believed we could do it. For them, and with them, we have done it."
EARLY GOAL
Roared on by close to 90,000 supporters, Barca harried and hassled Milan from the start.
The
early goal they desperately needed arrived when Messi exchanged passes
with Xavi on the edge of the Milan area and curled a brilliant shot into
the top corner that left goalkeeper Christian Abbiati rooted to the
spot.
Milan were under
increasing pressure and Abbiati palmed an Iniesta volley against the
crossbar eight minutes later before a long-range Xavi strike flew
narrowly wide.
Barca's early
intensity inevitably dipped as the half wore on and Milan came within a
whisker of snatching the goal that would have meant the hosts needed to
score at least three times to go through.
Barca
centre-back Javier Mascherano misjudged a header and Milan striker
M'Baye Niang raced clear but his low shot crashed back off the post with
home keeper Victor Valdes beaten. It would prove to be the turning
point in the tie.
Moments
later Barca doubled their lead on the night and drew level at 2-2 on
aggregate. Andres Iniesta won the ball in midfield and fed the
irrepressible Messi who smashed a low drive past Abbiati from just
outside the penalty area.
It
was his 58th Champions League goal, putting him two clear of former
Manchester United and Real Madrid striker Ruud van Nistelrooy in second
place on the scoring chart behind Raul, another former Real forward, who
leads on 71.
Barca continued
to dominate in the second half and Villa justified his inclusion in the
starting lineup when Xavi sent him clear on the right and he set
himself before striking a perfect left-foot shot high into the corner.
The
Spain forward made way for Alexis Sanchez 15 minutes from time and it
was the Chilean who set up Alba to fire home Barca's fourth.
OLD BARCELONA
"We
have seen the return of the old Barcelona and now we need to continue
in the same vein," Alba said in an interview with Spanish television.
"With
what remains of the season we need to keep playing with the same
enthusiasm, intensity and hunger we showed today," he added.
"All
of Barcelona came together today for this historic comeback so we are
delighted. Today we were on form, but we weren't in Milan. We need to
learn from this."
Barca can
now look ahead to the last eight after keeping alive their dream of a
third European crown in five years and will find out their opponents in
Friday's draw.
Milan, third
in Serie A, return home to focus on qualifying for the Champions League
again next season after coming remarkably close to upsetting the
pre-tournament favourites.
"It has been an extraordinary match from Barcelona," Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri told Sky Italia.
"But this is not the disastrous result it will maybe be depicted as but a chance to grow," he added.
"To
lose and go out after the first leg we produced at home upsets all of
us but the lads shouldn't beat themselves up."