Barcelona hailed Lionel Messi
as “The King”, and he handed Chelsea
the royal punishment by scoring twice to reach 100 Champions League goals and
end their quarter-final hopes.
After unfurling a banner showing the words ‘God Save The
King’ before kickoff, Barca’s fans were celebrating after just 129 seconds at
the Camp Nou
as Messi found the net before Chelsea
had even made a pass.
He then teed up Ousmane Dembele to double Barca’s lead in
the second leg of the last-16 clash before registering a century of Champions
League goals on his 123rd appearance to complete a 3-0 victory on the night and
4-1 on aggregate.
Messi becomes only the second player to reach the milestone
in Europe’s premier tournament, following Real
Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo, who has 117 goals in 152 games.
By the end, the Argentinian’s scintillating breakaway in the
build-up to Dembele’s first Barcelona
goal had become little more than a footnote to what was another Messi
masterclass.
It caps a remarkable five days for the 30-year-old, who sat
out Saturday’s La Liga win over Malaga
to attend to the birth of his third child.
Chelsea, in touch after the 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge,
were therefore unfortunate enough to encounter the striker fresh, free and at
his frighteningly brilliant best.
At the finish, Chelsea
coach Antonio Conte left the field with his arm around the forward, perhaps
with nothing to add but congratulations.
The quarter-final line-up is complete! 🙌
What's your dream #UCL final? pic.twitter.com/AQCBxbu3NM
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) March 14, 2018
Conte’s team had chances, particularly in the first half,
but the sense was once Barcelona
were in front they were content to sit back and counter.
With Manchester United dumped out by Sevilla and Tottenham
outmanouevred by Juventus, Chelsea’s exit means for all the talk of a Premier
League resurgence, Liverpool and Manchester City are its only two
representatives in the quarter-finals.
Spain
have three, after Real saw off the challenge of Paris Saint-Germain.
Andres Iniesta shook off a hamstring strain to start, while
Dembele was a surprise inclusion, preferred to Paulinho and rewarded for his
excellent display against Malaga.
Conte, meanwhile, plumped for Olivier Giroud up front ahead
of both Alvaro Morata, who was on the bench, and Eden Hazard, who was granted
his wish to play deeper in attacking midfield.
Within three minutes, however, Chelse’s plan to frustrate
was spoiled. Messi started the move and finished it, with Dembele, Luis Suarez
and a deflection off Marcos Alonso, helping him find the space to fire through
the legs of Thibaut Courtois for the fastest goal of his career.
Chelsea responded well, with
Willian and Victor Moses both posing a threat down the right, only for Barcelona to strike again
in the 20th minute.
Cesc Fabregas failed to secure possession in midfield and Messi was away, skipping past a desperate lunge from Andreas Christensen before taking the whole stadium by surprise by squaring to the back post.
1⃣1⃣ consecutive seasons in the @ChampionsLeague quarter-finals! 👏
✅ 2007/08
✅ 2008/09
✅ 2009/10
✅ 2010/11
✅ 2011/12
✅ 2012/13
✅ 2013/14
✅ 2014/15
✅ 2015/16
The excellent Dembele took one touch and slammed the ball
into the top corner.
Alonso and N’Golo Kante both went close before halftime, the
latter arguably robbing Fabregas of an easier finish with the Spaniard’s right
foot.
Alonso then clipped the edge of the post with a bending free
kick just before halftime.
After an hour, however, any hopes Chelsea had of a comeback were extinguished.
Suarez raced through midfield but looked to have hit a wall on the edge of Chelsea’s box.
Messi took over, tearing past the rooted Moses and banging
the ball, again through the legs of Courtois, into the net.
Antonio Rudiger headed against the bar late on, but Chelsea could not even find the scantest of consolations. Messi’s work was done.