7.50 PM Friday, 29 March 2024
  • City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
  • Dubai 04:56 06:10 12:26 15:53 18:37 19:52
29 March 2024

Messi, Iniesta destroy AC Milan: Barca win 4-0

Barcelona's Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring. (AFP)

Published
By Staff with Agencies

This is the first time in the history of the Champions League knock-outs that a team has come from 2 goals down to win without the help of an away goal.

They said it was impossible. It could not be done. The Italians are too good defenders to let slip a 2-0 lead. And they only had to score one to make the tie safe. They said Barcelona were on the slide losing twice to Real Madrid in the run-up to this game.

However, Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta showed that greatness rises to the ocassion and put on a footalling display that left Barcelona with a storming 4-0 win over the Italian giants.

Messi opened the scoring with a speed shot after just five minutes. Barcelona then dominated the game to the extent that Milan rarely touched the ball. Niang had one chance for Milan which he hit the post with.
After that it was a matter of time. Messi got his second less than ten minutes from the end of the first half and Barca went into the break 2-0 up.

After the break Barca took up where they left off and while Milan slowly came into the game, David Villa got the third with a fine finish.

Both sides made a clutch of changes, with Bojan Krkic and Robinho coming on for Milan and sparking what seemed like a late challenge.

Barca tried to steady the ship bringing on Sanchez and Puyol and Adriano. As Milan went in search of the game-saving goal, Barca found the counter-attack they were looking for, Jordi Alba finishing the move and the game with goal No 4.

All talk was about a calm and composed Barca not going crazy trying to overturn a 2-0 defecit.
If that was Barca not going crazy, it would be scary to see them going crazy.

The Champions League is alive again. Barca and Real still on course for another clash.

Tune in tonight for Arsenal versus Bayen Munich. Arsenal can take hope from this Barca fightback. If you have the quality, anything is possible.

Barcelona 4 AC Milan 0

Goals
Lionel Messi 5'
1 - 0
Lionel Messi 39'
2 - 0
David Villa 55'
3 - 0
Jordi Alba 90'

90": Game over. Humiliation complete for Milan. Milan win a free kick which Robinho manages to take caught in two minds. His pass to Muntari is cut out just as Milan were moving all their players into the 'D'. Barca break with speed 4 on 2 and Jordi Alba gets the final pass to slot pass the Milan keeper. Barca are through to the quarter finals of the Champions League with one of the greatest displays of attacking football you will ever see.

88": Barca break and get a corner. Time running down. Messi strolls over to take it. Camp Nou in full voice now.

86": Milan stroking the ball around like a different team now. Why did they not play like this from the beginning? Barca defence hold firm, looking for the break. Robinho reminds the Nou Camp of his skill and is sparking panic in the Barca defence.

83": Adriano on for Pedro as Barca look to close out the game with fresh legs. Time running out for Milan.

81": What a chance. Bojan Krkic dribbles down the right and Robinho's shot is blocked by some last ditch defending. What irony if Bojan scores. Game opening up as Milan come in search of their match-saving goal.

79": Tactical changes now, Puyol comes on in place of Javier Mascherano. He'll slot in at centre-back. Robinho also on for Milan.

73": Alexis Sanchez on for goal-scorer David Villa who gets a standing ovation. Bojan Krkic formerly of Barcelona is on for Milan now.

67": Ignazio Abate sparks another scare with a right-wing cross which causes chaos in the Barcelona box. But Barca scramble clear.

67": Ignazio Abate's right-foot cross is too good for his teammates and zips away for a throw to the home side.

58": Iniesta knicks it, David Villa heads it for Messi who chests it and unleashes a shot that is wide. Muntari on for Milan and he gives a free kick. Milan escape however.

56':Kevin Constant dives in, but cannot cut out Xavi's pass and allows David Villa takes his time to slot the shot into the far corner for a great finish. This could become embarassing for Milan now.

53": And Niang wastes a corner as well. Niang not doing it for Milan, wasting a cross. Mexes brings Messi down to get a yellow card. Will miss the next game if Milan go through.

52": Milan have a rare 3-3 on break, But Niang can't control the ball. What a waste.

50": Hope for Milan, as Barcelona have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last six knockout games in this competition at Camp Nou. Niang seems to have the measure of Mascherano but can't find the quality for the finish.

48": Constant gets caught on the ball and Messi has a strike at goal. Milan escape.

46": Can Milan stop Messi? It all boils down to that. Here we go.

What is amazing about that first half is that AC Milan are still in this game. Messi, Iniesta and Xavi have been truly amazing as well. Iniesta has pulled all the strings, used Xavi as a pinging board, to then find Messi, who has taken his two goals with truly world-class aplomb.

The first came after less than 5 minutes. The second a little more than five minutes from half-time.
The Milan coach will have to come up with an inspired half-time team talk. There seems no way back for Milan, despite the fact that Niang had a one-on-one chance with Valdes which he missed. Barca are certainly vulnerable at the back. A yellow card right at the end of Flamini.

Half time

38": Milan try to attack, Barca spark a fast break with Messi, but Dani Alves can't find a good enough cross. Niang misses a golden chance after Mascherano misses a defensive header. What a chance for Milan to seal the game. That could be it right there. And what happens next? Iniesta nicks it, finds Messi who shoots through a defender's legs into the corner of the Milan goal. Tie squared. Messi on a hat-trick. Milan reeling now.

32": Milan getting the hang of handling the tiki-taka now. Last couple of Barca moves have been broken down. Problem is Milan are seeing so little of the possession when they do get it, they can't keep hold of it. Sharaawy breaks down the left, beats Pique with a cut in but can only manage a weak shot which Valdes accepts with ease. Barca with 71% of possession.

29": Flamini has his head bandaged. Symptomatic of Milan as a team right now. Barca has them wounded. Milan finally construct a move but can't find the final ball.
Milan finally get a ball behind the Barca defence which he crosses to find Sharaawy, who goes for the spectacular volley and fluffs it. Messi breaks and is fouled.

25": Barca are playing at such a high level of quality that AC Milan are being made to look like a school-boy side. Milan need someone to hold that ball and get it through the first line of Barca men pressing.

22": Yellow card for Boateng.

20": Milan leaking corners now. Stuck in their own 'D'. Iniesta shows dazzling footwork again. Another corner. Barca defence holding a line at the mid-field line. Messi wins a free-kick. Milan try to pla it out but Barca close them downs like demons possessed and win it back.

15": First corner to Milan. A much needed break for the Milan defence. Comes to nothing. A long ball forward sees a terrible back pass and Villa is almost in. Another great escape for Milan. Iniesta dazzles and Xavi unleashes a pile-driver which Abate saves. Corner sees more Milan confusion. Another corner. Milan survive.

14": Iniesta hits the bar with a super strike from just outside the 'D'. Messi puts the header off the rebound in the side netting.

12": Does the pitch make such a big difference? The Barca tiki-taka is working like magic. A long overhead finds Pedro who gets clipped by Abate. Milan escap what looks like a penalty. Messi continues to look really dangerous.

8": Milan break with a long ball. Shaarawy gets a brilliant ball behind the Barca defence but can only manage a weak shot.

5": Barca ping the ball around with frightening speed, the balls lands at Messi's feet and he hits the ball so fast that the defence nor the goal-keeper even have time to move. 1-0 to Barca. Milan rocked.

2": Messi has scored 51 goals this season. But, none more important than any he will score tonight. He starts floating freely and Barca start with total posession.

0": Pundits view: Graeme Souness believes Barca will win. Terry Venables for Milan. Trevor Francis on the fence.

0": Minutes to kick-off now. Former Arsenal star Cesc Fabregas is on the bench, but speaking before the game he warned against Barcelona trying to over-do the attacking. So we could well see a calm and composed Barca slowly trying to unpick the Italian Catenecchio style of defence. As each minute passes though, the pressure in the stadium will build. And the pressure on Lionel Messi. Barca cannot concede. And still need three goals. Milan really, only need one goal and the tie will be done on the away goals rule. Let's hope the ref stays calm in this one.

Game on

These are possibly the two key stats that will define the game, from the team at whoscored.com, who always are on the ball.

Barcelona Belief: Barca are undefeated in their last 5 home matches against AC Milan in all competitions.

VS

Clinical AC Milan: Only Bayern Munich (5) have scored more goals from set piece situations (excluding penalties) in the Champions League this season than Milan (4). Also Milan are 1 of only 2 teams (Anderlecht) who haven't committed a single error leading to a goalscoring chance in the CL this season

Ok, let’s get serious and here’s the tweet of the day from the AC Milan camp: “[This match]... demands courage and plenty of determination.” Massimo Ambrosini #BarcaMilan.
Ambrosini is Milan’s captain.

Starting Line-ups

Barcelona

Defence: Victor Valdés, Jordi Alba, Javier Mascherano, Gerard Piqué, Dani Alves
Midfield: Xavi, Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta
Forwards: Lionel Messi, Pedro, David Villa

AC Milan

Defence: Christian Abbiati, Ignazio Abate, Philippe Mexes, Cristian Zapata, Kevin Constant
Midfield: Riccardo Montolivo, Massimo Ambrosini, Mathieu Flamini
Forwards: Mbaye Niang, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Stephan El Shaarawy

Stallone's Barca cry... and Gasol tweets

The mood across online networks and the Twitterverse is not AC Milan at all. It is just pro-Barcelona. Of course, we don’t speak Italian so have no ins on the die-hard Italian mood and their backing for coach Massimiliano Allegri, or goal-scorers Kevin-Prince Boateng and Sulley Muntari.
For the neutrals and football lovers though, it is hard to see Barcelona go out so early in the Champions League, or even go out at all.

So much so, even Hollywood hardman and superstar Sylvester Stallone has joined the chants for the greatest fightback of all time.
Given that our Spanish is only as good as our Italian, we can only believe he is saying, “Go Barca, go!” Check it out.

The celebs are getting warmed up and NBA and Lakers basketball star Pau Gasol tweets: “I hope that the team can come back and move on to the next round. Vamos Barça!!

The Italian Way

The Italians and AC Milan know this play. They have been here many times before, as club and country.
Squeezing out victories with a one goal difference. However, even Milan with all its European pedigree would not have expected to be taking a two goal lead to the Camp Nou.

Barcelona have not been here before. Not for a long time. And the world is about to find out if the best club football team in a decade, may be two, are at the beginning of the end of their world dominance.

Barca are 2-0 down from the first leg of their last-16 clash and head into the match after back-to-back defeats to arch-rivals Real Madrid.
However, Barca do have the best player in the world – Lionel Messi and he believes there is no crisis.

“We are not in crisis. We have fallen to Milan and Real, two great clubs. Admittedly we have not played well, but against the Italians we still have 90 minutes to turn the situation around and we can do it.”

History in the making... or out

Barcelona have created much history, but will have to continue to win here. Why?
No side has ever managed to overturn a 2-0 first leg, round of 16 deficit without having the benefit of an away goal.

Also, Milan are unbeaten in Serie A in 2013, winning seven and drawing three.

Spanish press run the gauntlet

"One, two, three, to the quarters!" ran the headline in sports daily El Mundo Deportivo, predicting that "after three weeks of waiting, the hour of the great comeback has arrived".
Barca have progressed to the semi-finals of the competition for the last five seasons and even gone on to win the competition three times in the past eight years.

El Mundo said that the messages from "inside and outside the dressing room are ones of faith and confidence of going through to the quarter-finals".
Mundo Deportivo called the Argentine "the man of the last-16" thanks to his incredible tally of 10 goals in home ties at this stage of the competition in the past four seasons.

The other Barcelona sport daily, Sport, struck a similar tone, plastering the words "the comeback is possible" across their front page 17 times.
Inside they claimed that "the best Barca in history are capable of offering a magic night in the Champions League to their fans" and that "the Camp Nou will live a special night with only one thought: eliminating Milan".

"Made to suffer" was Marca's headline, as they said the Barca players were "convinced that they can turn it around" and were desperate to dedicate a historic victory to manager Tito Vilanova, who is undergoing cancer treatment in New York.