Messi brings Madrid Final a step closer (4-1)

Messi brings Madrid Final a step closer (4-1)

Another memorable performance from Leo Messi destroyed Arsenal and put Barca through to another Champions League semi final. Messi scored all four goals as Barca swept aside the Londoners to win 6-3 on aggregate.

Barca stride on towards the final in the Bernabeu and tonight’s breathtaking display from the World Player of the Year, whose first half hat trick came after Arsenal had gone ahead, is bound to strike awe and admiration into the remaining teams in the competition. Guardiola’s choice of Milito and Marquez to replace the unavailable Puyol and Pique proved more than enough to keep any threat from Arsenal at bay and Bojan also played his part up front as Barca dominated and rounded off a great night with Messi’s late fourth goal to reach the semi finals for the third season on the run.

Early warning

Messi served early notice that he was in the scoring mood with a shot from outside the box on 4 minutes that Almunia pushed wide and then on 11 minutes with a vicious dipping effort that went inches over. Barca were building from the back with both Xavi and Marquez prominent, whilst Arsenal tried hard to close down their hosts, not always legally, and look for the quick counter.

Arsenal opener

Wenger’s tactics seemed to have paid dividends on 18 minutes when Milito was hustled off the ball in midfield by Diaby who put Walcott through behind the defence. The young English winger squared for Bendtner whose shot was stopped by Valdes only for the Arsenal centre forward to strike home the rebound. The Gunners’ joy was short lived though as just two minutes later Messi got his first, firing home an unstoppable drive from the edge of the box, high and wide of the helpless Almunia.

Messi! Messi! Messi!

With Keita and Pedro playing wide, Barca had settled into a 4-2-3-1 system, but their dominance was interspersed with the occasional imprecision and they were not finding it easy to play their usual flowing game as Arsenal niggled away at them in midfield until Denilson was booked on the half hour for a foul on Busquets and the referee began to clamp down on the English team’s attempts to slow the game down. Messi’s second was the result of a brilliant collective move in which the team’s pinpoint passing seemed to almost lull Arsenal into a stupor, before Messi released Abidal who centered for Pedro to turn back to the Argentinean who fired home with his right foot.

Five minutes later, Messi claimed his hat trick, racing through a hole in the centre of the Arsenal defence to chip the ball delicately over the out rushing Almunia. As if that wasn’t enough, he then nearly repeated the goal a couple of minutes later, only to lose control at the last moment. The crowd gave the Argentinean a fully deserved standing ovation as the players went off for half time – and he’d still not finished!

Closing down

If in the first half it was Arsenal who tried to harry the Barca midfield, the second half saw Barca show the Londoners just how it was done as they ceded the initiative to Arsenal and looked to close the game down, pressuring all over the pitch and holding onto the ball for long periods when they won it back. Toure came on to strengthen the middle and Messi moved into the centre forward role, whilst Guardiola was also forced to bring on Maxwell as Abidal picked up another injury. Arsenal refused to throw in the towel though,and Bendtner saw a header, finally ruled offside, come off the woodwork.

Late strike makes it four

Pedro came close on 71 minutes when he chipped wide after a quick free kick from Messi, but Barca had effectively taken the sting out a game that looked set to finish 3-1 before Messi again popped up, dribbling past the Arsenal defence and finally firing through Almunia’s legs to claim his fourth with just three minutes left to play.

Four goals and an aggregate 6-3 win have made clear Barca’s ambition to reach the Bernabeu in May, but for now, tonight’s result will have given the team a great morale boost for what is hopefully just their first trip to Madrid’s ground this season - on Saturday!