FC Barcelona News
Barcelona’s Young Stars Breeze Past BATE
December 7th, 2011FC Barcelona triumphed 4-0 at the Camp Nou against Belarusian side BATE Borisov on Tuesday night, despite fielding a side composed mostly of young Barça B players. Midfielder Sergi Roberto opened the scoring in the first half, before Martín Montoya and two goals from Pedro completed a commanding performance.
With qualification and top spot firmly secured, Guardiola was able to offer a tantalising glimpse of Barcelona’s future, giving game time to highly rated young talents like Sergi Roberto, Martín Montaya and Rafinha, the brother of Thiago, who also started the match tonight. Meanwhile Isaac Cuenca continued his recent run in the first team and demonstrated throughout the evening that he has what it takes to hold his position down as the season wears on.
From the first whistle, Barça asserted control of this encounter – with just a couple of minutes on the clock Rafinha worked some space in the area and got a shot away, but BATE ‘keeper Gutor pushed it wide at the near post.
Rafinha was operating in Messi’s withdrawn forward position and looked very lively in the opening stages, also heading a Maxwell cross just over. The ever-improving Cuenca lashed a 25-yeard shot just wide, and also instigated a fine move that Sergi Roberto fired just wide.
At the other end Marc Bartra showed great presence of mind, flicking an awkward BATE cross over the head of an onrushing attacker.
Minutes later it was Sergi Roberto who would open the scoring – Thiago strode forward, and when his attempted pass to Pedro was cut out, Sergi was on hand to tuck the ball clinically into the bottom corner.
Martín Montoya, the right-back also had an impressive night, overlapping time and again to get into dangerous attacking positions. He might have had an assist in the first half, but went one better on the stroke of the hour, when he played a fabulous one-two with Isaac Cuenca before taking the ball in his stride a producing a calm finish into the roof of the net.
By now Barcelona were playing with supreme confidence and it was a joy to watch, especially against what should be considered relatively seasoned opposition. The move of the night came a matter of minutes after the second goal. After a delightful passage of pass and move, Cuenca got possession at the byline and cut the ball back for Pedro, who finished first time through Gutor’s legs.
Isaac Cuenca was pulling the strings for his tea, and BATE had no answer. With ten minutes to go he picked up the ball from just outside the area and smashed a shot that clipped the corner of the post. And it would be Cuenca who played a role in the final goal of the night as well. In the closing staged he drew a foul from BATE midfielder Volodko, and Pedro sent the ‘keeper the wrong way from the penalty spot to add extra gloss to an impressive night’s work.
1-0 Sergi Roberto (min 34)
2-0 Montoya (min 58)
3-0 Pedro (min 61)
4-9 Pedro (min 86)
Barcelona Overcome Milan in Pulsating Battle
November 24th, 2011FC Barcelona qualified top of Group H on Wednesday night, beating Milan 3-2 in an entertaining encounter at the San Siro. There was a thrilling mix of skill and controversy; Barça’s goals game through a van Bommel own goal, Messi and Xavi after a fine team move. Milan equalized twice, with Ibrahimovic and Boateng grabbing two well-worked goals.
Although Milan and Barcelona had already achieved qualification for the second round, first place, and with it the prospect of an easier knockout opponent, was still up for grabs. Both clubs fielded competitive teams, with a host of stars lining up at kick-off. Messi, Xavi, Villa, Cesc and Puyol were present for Barça, while Swedish striker Ibrahimovic started for Milan against his former club.
After an even opening few minutes, Barcelona took the lead through an own goal by Dutch veteran Mark van Bommel; Keita got free down the left side of the area and produced a low cross that wrong-footed a number of Milan players, including their midfielder who turned it into his net under pressure from Xavi.
Barcelona were nearly two-up seconds later, when Thiago showed quick feet and quick thinking to flick the ball past the backline for Cesc Fábregas, whose volley was straight at Abbiati.
After this let off Milan started to find their feet. First Robinho somehow contrived to turn a Boateng cross over the bar, and then Seedorf trapped a long pass on the left angle of the area. He then pushed the ball through for Ibrahimovic who scored with a low first-time shot.
But the momentum was soon back with the away team. Messi was denied at close range, and some flowing Barcelona moves were ended only by last-ditch tackles. Then, on the half-hour mark, Alberto Aquilani was adjudged to have hauled down Lionel Messi – much to the home team’s dismay. After lengthy protestations by Milan, the Argentine forward stepped up to take his kick. His first effort was chalked off thanks to its stuttering run-up, but the second was legitimate, and was tucked into the bottom right corner.
In the final minutes of the half Abbiati made important saves from both Messi and Villa to preserve a score-line that perhaps flattered the hosts.
The second period was an altogether more subdued affair, but was lit up by moments of sublime skill. On an individual level, Boateng’s 53rd minute equalizer was something to behold; Mascherano half-cleared a deep cross for Ibra, and the ball fell to AC Milan’s German talent – he trapped the ball first time and flicked the ball past Abidal with his heel before slamming home at Valdes’ near post.
In no mood to be outdone, Barcelona reclaimed the lead on the hour-mark through a fabulous team goal. At the end of it Messi produced a forensic through-pass, evading four Milan defenders, which finished with expert precision by Xavi. Later, Abbiati made two point-blank saves to keep substitiute Alexis at bay, but Barcelona were more than comfortable.
0-1 Van Bommel (min 13)
1-1 Ibrahimovic (min 19)
1-2 Messi (min 30)
2-2 Boateng (min 55)
2-3 Xavi (min 64)
Messi Makes History Again
November 2nd, 2011FC Barcelona made light work of Czech side Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League on Tuesday, winning 4-0 away. Lionel Messi notched a fabulous hat-trick on the night he reached the 200 goal landmark, and was joined on the score-sheet by Cesc Fàbregas.
The lineup was remarkable for the inclusion of Messi, Cesc and Piqué, who were starting in their first competitive game together since their days at La Masia more than eight years ago. Puyol partnered Piqué in central defence, and Isaac Cuenca continued his run in the team, starting on the right wing. Elsewhere Thiago and Cesc stood in for Iniesta and Xavi, both recuperating from minor injuries.
Against motivated opposition at the Struncovy Savy Stadion, Barcelona needed their customary few minutes to settle, and it was the home side that had the best of the early chances. Firstly Petrzela somehow managed to break free into a one-on-one situation with Valdés, but Barça’s ‘keeper was equal to the task, getting down quickly to his left. Moments later Kolar found himself unmarked in the area, but skied his shot, much to the relief of the Barcelona defence.
Cesc was denied what appeared to be a clear-cut penalty, when he turned in the box, but seemed to be brought down by a clumsy Jiracek tackle. Twenty minutes in, Barcelona were hitting their stride; Cesc had a powerful mid-range effort pushed away, and then Lionel Messi jinked into the area and was fouled when he nimbly cut inside defender Marian Cisovsky. Referee Robert Schöfgenhofer saw it as a goalscoring opportunity and somewhat harshly sent the Slovak defender off.
The Argentine was clinical from the penalty spot, finding the bottom left corner to claim his 200th goal for the club. He was on the scoresheet again in the closing minutes of the half when he bustled forward, played a one-two with Adriano and tucked the return ball past Pavlik from six yards.
Straight after the break Messi and Cesc combined, with the latter almost sealing a wonderful team goal when he clipped the ball over the onrushing Pavlik, but his effort just missed the far post. Messi then saw a fine 25-yard free kick saved on the stretch by Pzlen’s goalkeeper.
Pzlen then went close, when Petrzela smashed a half-volley into the side-netting for the home side’s last real chance of the night. Isaac Cuenca started to shine for Barcelona, first working some space at the byline with excellent close control. A few minutes later he worked himself free and curled a perfect cross for Cesc to head home to take the score to 3-0.
Alexis Sánchez made a long-awaited return from injury with three minutes to go, and almost capped his comeback with a goal when Messi put him through in a narrow position on the right. Then, in the dying embers of the game, Barcelona’s inspirational Argentine grabbed his hat-trick, rounding the keeper and slotting home after Piqué had released him with a smart backheel.
0-1, Messi (min 22, pen)
0-2, Messi (min 45+1)
0-3, Cesc (min 71)
0-4, Messi (min 90+2)
Villa and Iniesta Dispatch Awkward Czechs
October 20th, 2011FC Barcelona triumphed 2-0 at home to Viktoria Plzen on Wednesday, having created a plethora of chances. Iniesta grabbed a sublime first goal after just ten minutes, but despite overrunning their opponents Barça had to wait for 70 more minutes before they could rest easy.
Guardiola selected what was last season’s first choice front six, with Iniesta and Xavi anchored by Busquets, and Messi offered the freedom of a withdrawn forward role flanked by Villa and Pedro. Plzen lined up with a 4-4-2 and a team composed entirely of Czech and Slovak players boasting few names that Barcelona fans would recognise.
After drawing against AC Milan Barcelona were in search of a first home win in Europe this season and started the match aggressively; Pedro and Alves both had fine chances after lightning quick one-touch passing moves from the left and then right. Then after ten minutes an almost identical attack involving Messi and Iniesta found the Spanish midfielder in an inside-right position in the area – he flicked the bouncing ball from his right foot to left, confounding his marker, before driving a shot into the bottom right corner to cap a magnificent piece of skill.
Plzen were in real trouble, and Barcelona’s high pressing ensured that they were unable to build attacks, with much of the first 30 minutes played exclusively in the away team’s half. And the chances came thick and fast for Barça; Pedro found room in the area on three occasions but was let down by a lack of composure and some desperate last-ditch Plzen defending. David Villa curled a shot wide and Messi hit the side-netting after he brought down a delicate looped pass by Busquets.
After half an hour the Czechs enjoyed their first spell of possession, but despite pushing Barcelona back were unable to muster a chance of note. And at the final whistle Messi offered a reminder of his threat when he curled a 25-yard free-kick onto the crossbar.
The chances continued to flow for Barcelona after the break, and it was Lionel Messi who took the spotlight. The Argentine forward embarked on two slaloming runs that would have resulted in goal of the season contenders had he managed to finish them off. For the first he worked his way past three defenders before being denied at the near post by Marek Cech in the Plzen goal.
Just minutes later he was at it again, leaving more defenders on their backsides only to see his effort bounce out off the near post and out for a goal kick. Messi’s next attempt had a hint of over-elaboration about it, as he controlled an incisive Villa pass and clipped the ball over Cech with supreme nonchalance, only to be tackled on the line.
The second goal finally arrived in the 81st minute when Messi was tackled in the area, only for the ball to drop at the feet of David Villa who made no mistake from 15 yards.
1-0 Iniesta (min 10)
2-0 Villa (min 81)
BATE battered in Minsk
September 29th, 2011FC Barcelona cruised to a 5–0 victory against Belarusian side BATE Borisov in Minsk on Wednesday night. Guardiola’s men were never less than comfortable throughout, creating numerous chances on the way to a relatively rare away victory in Europe.
Sporting their black away colours, Barça took the lead through an own goal, before Pedro scored a header and Messi added two more goals to his already impressive tally this season.
As soon as the match settled, Barcelona were confronted by a wall of yellow shirts, with BATE setting up very deep in the hope of stifling Pep Guardiola’s side. Sole striker Mateja Kezman cut a very isolated figure on the halfway line, with his teammates withdrawing to the edge of the area in two tight banks. The first opportunity fell to BATE, as defender Marko Simic headed a corner over.
Barça stuck to their task and slowly the chances began to flow. Thiago’s shot was saved, and a Messi free-kick flashed past the left corner. With BATE unable to build anything resembling an attack, the strain was beginning to tell. And when Alves delivered a teasing cross from the right flank, midfielder Volodko turned the ball into his own goal under pressure from Messi at the back post.
Just three minutes later Barcelona were two goals ahead, when David Villa swung a pinpoint cross for Pedro to rise and nod home from the penalty spot. After this fine effort the home defence was in disarray, and a host of chances followed for the away side.
Still, the home team did muster one chance – Volodko nearly made up for his earlier error when he found some space in the Barça area, but the Belarusian poked the ball wide under pressure from Valdés.
David Villa was looking particularly lively and had two shots well saved after working some space on the left side of the area. The third goal for Barcelona was an absolute gift. This time Pedro broke free down the right, and when his rather tame cross was inexplicably fumbled by Gutor in the BATE goal, Messi was on hand to stab the ball home from five yards.
Early in the second half Lionel Messi looked hungry for more goals; just after the break he set off on a bustling run from the right flank, but skewed the ball wide at the near post with the outside of his left boot. The Argentine forward was not to be denied though; soon after, he set Alves galloping down the right flank and the Brazilian aimed a forensic square pass through the BATE ranks, which Messi controlled and fired into the top right corner to complete a fantastic move.
Messi nearly turned provider moments later when he found Abidal clear in the area with a breathtaking angled pass, but the French defender’s effort was saved. The night was topped off at the death by David Villa, who tucked a Thiago through pass into the bottom right corner.
0-1 Volodko (own goal) (min 18)
0-2 Pedro (min 22)
0-3 Messi (min 38)
0-4 Messi (min 56)
0-5 Villa (min 89)
Barcelona Caught Napping and Draw Again
September 14th, 2011FC Barcelona drew 2-2 at home to AC Milan on Tuesday night. The Italian club scored in the first and last minute, bookending goals by Pedro and David Villa, in a match that the Guardiola’s men should have won with ease.
Only Puyol and Piqué were absent from what might be considered a first choice XI, while Alexis Sánchez began his recuperation from the injury he sustained at Real Sociedad. Milan were missing some important players, most notably Robinho and Ibrahimovic, but were still able to field a potent front-line of Cassano and Pato.
And it was the young Brazilian striker who stole the initiative and caught Barcelona cold after just 25 seconds – blazing past Busquets to slot the ball home beneath the helpless Valdés to give his side a shock lead. Pato continued to threaten on and off for the next 20 minutes before fading with the rest of his team as the match wore on.
The home side slowly recovered their composure after this early setback, and slowly began to dominate. At first AC Milan offered stout defensive resistance, but Barça soon began to carve chances, with Messi the driving force.
The livewire Argentine forced two saves from Abbiati with low drives, and clipped the outside of the right post with a curling 25-yard free-kick. David Villa also looked dangerous, smashing an acrobatic volley just over the bar.
Eventually the pressure told, and unsurprisingly it was Messi who made the difference; he picked up the ball on the edge of the area and bustled past three Milan defenders with a mix of tenacity and skill, before reaching the goal-line and cutting back for Pedro to finish from five yards. Things were looking good for Barca, but the mood was dampened slightly when Iniesta was forced from the field with a muscle injury just before half time.
Barcelona picked up the second half where they left off – Xavi drove a shot from the right angle of the area, which Abbiati pushed out for a corner. Minutes later the home side won a free-kick 20 yards out, in an inside-left position. This time David Villa stepped up, and the Asturian striker curled the ball beautifully into the top-left corner, leaving Milan’s goalkeeper no chance.
Now in the lead, Guardiola’s men dropped the tempo slightly, playing almost entirely in Milan’s half but rarely threatening their goal. Pedro had a couple of half chances, while Messi was stopped by a brilliant last-ditch tackle from Alessandro Nesta.
Puyol put his recent injury troubles behind him to replace Seydou Keita on 66 minutes, and Barcelona looked set to wind the clock down, with AC Milan seemingly a spent force.
That was until injury time, when Abidal tried to shield the ball out for a goal kick, accidentally clipping it in the process. Seedorf took the resulting corner, lofting a perfect cross for defender Thiago Silva to head home and make the final score an unlikely 2-2.
0-1, Pato (min 1)
1-1, Pedro (min 36)
2-1, Villa (min 49)
2-2, Thiago Silva (min 93)
Messi Shines on a Night to Remember at Wembley
May 29th, 2011FC Barcelona has won the Champions League title after defeating Manchester United 3-1, in a game of near total dominance by the Blaugrana side. Lionel Messi and David Villa scored the winning goals, after Pedro’s opener was levelled by a Wayne Rooney strike on the half-hour mark.
After a slow first ten minutes, when Barça needed to find their feet after two and a half weeks of much-needed rest, Guardiola’s men exerted a stranglehold on the game that never loosened; always imaginative and assured in possession, and showing great togetherness and tactical nous to win the ball back early.
After a much-needed rest following the gruelling confrontations with Real Madrid, Barcelona were able to call on a near full-strength team for this, their most important match of the season. Abidal was fit to play at left-back, while Javier Mascherano filled in for Puyol, whose second half of the season has been plagued by niggling injury.
Manchester United started at a blistering tempo, pressing but without troubling the Barça defence. In fact, the first real opportunity fell to the Catalan side and proved to be the warning shot before a barrage of chances; Alves scuttled into space down the right for the first time, and found Pedro free in the area, but the Canarian winger skewed wide.
David Villa went close with an attempt from distance, then drew an important save at close range from Edwin van der Sar. Barcelona were suddenly looking confident, with Xavi, Messi and Iniesta interchanging with growing menace.
Some last-gasp defending by Vidic and Ferdinand only served to delay the inevitable – Pedro drifted into space on the counter-attack and was found by an inch-perfect Xavi pass, before finishing calmly at the near-post.
But the scores were level just minutes later, after Manchester United conjured their first real move of the match; Rooney combined with Giggs on the inside-right before lashing an unstoppable shot into the top left corner. Replays suggested that the veteran Welshman had strayed offside in the build up.
After this setback Guardiola will have been delighted by the way Barça went about their task at the start of the second period.
Yet more pressure culminated in a Messi goal, when the Argentine forward spotted the smallest of gaps between Vidic and Van der Sar from the edge of the area, driving the ball home.
This goal was followed by a spell of uninterrupted possession for the Blaugrana team, and Manchester United were visibly wilting, sapped by 70 minutes of chasing red and blue jerseys. It was David Villa who finally put them out of their misery, curling into the top corner from just outside the area after a Messi run.
All that was left was for Guardiola to lead his charges proudly up the Wembley steps, where Abidal was handed the captain’s armband and given the honour of lifting the Champions League, crowning a triumphant season with a memorable and touching gesture.
1-0 Pedro (min 27)
1-1 Rooney (min 34)
2-1 Messi (min 53)
3-1 Villa (min 69)
Barcelona March on to Wembley
May 4th, 2011FC Barcelona are through to the final of the Champions League after gaining a 1-1 draw against Real Madrid with an assured second leg performance at the Camp Nou. Despite fielding a more attacking lineup than in previous Clásicos, Real Madrid were never able to put sustained pressure on what remains a relatively makeshift Barça defence.
After dominating the first half, it was the home side that took the lead when Pedro tucked the ball past Casillas to cap a fantastic team move. With the tie effectively sealed, Barcelona could afford a little carelessness, giving the ball away at the back, with Marcelo tapping home from an Ángel di María cutback.
The build up to this decisive second leg had been tempestuous in all senses of the word. After a week of blustery claim and counter-claim in the press, a real life thunderstorm broke out in the Barcelona skies, leaving plenty of surface water on the Camp Nou pitch.
Any fears that the conditions would hamper Barcelona’s passing game were quickly dispelled though, when a first-choice attacking six started zipping the ball around with characteristic style.
The visitors reduced to spectators once again. Madrid’s main contribution in the early exchanges was to ride their luck thanks to a series of rugged challenges by Ricardo Carvalho and Lassana Diarra.
When Lionel Messi drew a full-stretch save from Casillas on the 30-minute mark, Barça scented blood and created a flurry of opportunities; Villa, Pedro and Messi again all went close, with only some spectacular acrobatics by the Spain ‘keeper preventing Barcelona from extending their lead.
Perhaps revelling in the fortune of surviving this onslaught, there was renewed endeavour from the visitors after the break. Cristiano Ronaldo had his first opportunity to run at the Barcelona defence – when the Portuguese forward forced a challenge from Piqué, the ball broke for Gonzalo Higuain who curled the ball past Valdés.
Fortunately for Barcelona, referee Franck de Bleeckere had already blown up for a foul on Mascherano. Cristiano Ronaldo had rolled past Piqué onto the Argentine defender’s heels, preventing him from putting a challenge in on Higuain.
Barcelona responded almost instantly with a wonderful goal; the move started back with Víctor Valdés and culminated in a pinpoint pass by Iniesta through to Pedro Rodríguez. The winger showed no hesitation as he slotted into the bottom right corner to spark rapturous celebrations.
Now reassured by their massive advantage, Barça opted to slow the pace. But a moment of rare sloppiness at the back allowed di María to get in on goal. The Madrid winger smashed the ball off the post before directing the rebound to Marcelo who made no mistake. It was careless play by Barcelona, but would prove to be little more than a minor bump in the road.
There was still time for a heartwarming moment – Eric Abidal’s late entrance was greeted by huge cheers, as the French defender made his first appearance since recovering from a serious health scare.
1-0 Pedro (min 53)
1-1 Marcelo (min 68)
Messi Grabs Advantage for Barcelona
April 28th, 2011Lionel Messi struck twice to hand FC Barcelona a massive advantage in their Champions League semi-final tie with bitter rivals Real Madrid. It was another ill-humoured Clásico, repeatedly interrupted by squabbles and niggling fouls, but come the final whistle the Blaugrana side were in a justified ascendancy, taking a 2-0 lead to next week’s match at the Camp Nou.
Barcelona had the upper hand throughout, but the game’s turning point came on the 60th minute with a red card for Pepe after a crude studs-up lunge on Dani Alves. Lionel Messi then seized the initiative, poking an Afellay cross beneath Casillas from close range, then embarking on a jinking run from the centre circle, beating five players and slotting home.
In hindsight, the build-up to this monumental first leg was a sign of things to come. Pep Guardiola had elected to stand up to Jose Mourinho by bristling at the Madrid manager’s recent provocation at Tuesday’s press conference. And this tetchy atmosphere was carried onto the Bernabéu pitch.
The first half was reminiscent of the recent confrontations between these two clubs; Barcelona were trying to set the tempo, with Pedro and Villa hugging the left and right touchlines, trying to furnish Messi and Xavi with some space against a compact Madrid formation.
Their counterparts were far less enterprising – opting instead to find Cristiano Ronaldo on the counter attack and gain territorial advantage via set pieces.
There were plenty of petty fouls followed by shrill protestations and theatrics, perhaps a consequence of Mourinho’s pre-match fixation with referees. But amid the fractious exchanges Barcelona did manage to carve a couple of notable chances.
Pulling in off the right wing, Villa cut onto his weaker left foot and curled a 20-yard effort past Casillas’ right post. Later, Messi squirmed through three challenges before slipping a clever pass to Xavi, but Barça’s captain was denied at the near post.
The half-time whistle was met with an ugly skirmish at the mouth of the tunnel. The result was a red card for Pinto, leaving Barcelona without a substitute ‘keeper for the second half.
The opening minutes of the second period picked up where the first had left off. Barça were probing and circulating the ball, while Real Madrid were lying in wait for a counter attack. There was still plenty of hostility, and a series of tit-for-tat fouls eventually culminated in Pepe’s deserved red card for his reckless challenge on Aves. Jose Mourinho’s sarcastic applause for the stricken Barça fullback was also rewarded with a sending off.
After ceding possession for an hour, Real Madrid no longer had the legs to close down space now they had to play with ten men. Chances for Villa and Pedro were followed by 15 minutes of pure magic from Lionel Messi.
After a vital first goal, he capped a glorious night for a Barça with a world-class effort that placed his team firmly in the driving seat.
0-1, Messi (min 76)
0-2, Messi (min 87)
Messi Breaks Record to Put Barça Through
April 13th, 2011FC Barcelona are through to the semi-finals of the Champions League after a measured 1-0 victory in the Ukraine. The upshot is a likely encounter with Real Madrid in the next round, with four Clásicos looming on the horizon. It’s proving to be a thrilling conclusion to a campaign that could yield an historic treble for Guardiola’s men.
Tonight the outcome of this quarterfinal tie was rarely in doubt. An early spell of Shakhtar pressure was negotiated thanks to the safe hands of Víctor Valdés, and, when Messi notched a record-breaking 48th goal of the season in the final minutes of the first half, a potentially testing evening became a lot easier for the Blaugrana side.
Still, Shakhtar Donetsk are a club with considerable European pedigree, and had a home record in the Champions League strong enough to suggest that Barcelona still had some work to do. Despite the 5-1 first leg score-line Pep Guardiola certainly wasn’t taking the challenge lightly, selecting his strongest available lineup, with Afellay taking his place on the left of the front three as Pedro continues his careful reintroduction to the first team.
As expected from a side hoping to overcome a four-goal deficit, Shakhtar took the reins in the opening minutes, attacking with style and pace. Much of their best work came though the Brazilian Jadson, who produced an early chance for Douglas Costa, but the winger’s near-post effort was matched by a wonderful reaction save from Valdés. More smart interplay found Jadson alone on the penalty spot, but his shot was easily gathered by the Barça goalkeeper.
They would prove to be Shakhtar’s best opportunities of the match. By the 20-minute mark FC Barcelona had found their feet. Mascherano had slipped back into defence with Sergio Busquets pushing forward into his favoured holding midfield role and the Blaugrana side was starting to look very comfortable, producing opportunities for Adriano and Afellay before Messi capped a stylish move to end the match as a contest.
The Argentine star was found by Dani Alves on the edge of the area, evaded one desperate Shakhtar challenge and dispatched the ball past Pyatov into the bottom-right corner. It was his 48th goal of the season – a new Spanish record, beating his own tally from last season and surpassing Ronaldo’s record for Barcelona in 1996-97, and Puskas’ effort for Madrid in 1959/60.
The second half was largely uneventful. A succession of attacking Shakhtar substitutions failed to loosen Barça’s grip on the game, and the away team nearly doubled their lead when Messi went on a spectacular run, dodging two tackles before laying the ball off to Afellay whose shot was palmed away by Pyatov.
Shakhtar mustered one final chance when Víctor Valdés denied Mkitaryan with a dazzling save to help Barça close out the tie as impressive 6-1 victors. The result also ends a run of eight winless knockout-stage matches for Guardiola in the Champions League.
0-1 Messi (min 43)
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