Messi's four goals inspire Barca into semifinals

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-04-08 10:41

BARCELONA - Barcelona's Argentinian superstar Lionel Messi's extraordinary one-man demolition of English side Arsenal in their Champions League quarterfinal second leg here on Tuesday earned the player known as 'The Flea' plaudits from friend and foe alike.

Messi's four goals inspire Barca into semifinals

Barcelona's Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring against Arsenal during their Champions League quarter-final, second leg soccer match at Nou Camp stadium in Barcelona April 6, 2010. Messi's first ever four goal haul saw holders Barcelona reach the Champions League semi-finals here on Tuesday in a 4-1 defeat of English side Arsenal. [Agencies]

The 22-year-old's first ever four-goal haul - he had already accrued three hat-tricks in 2010 - in the 4-1 defeat of Arsenal (6-3 on aggregate) gave the Champions League holders a date with Italian champions Inter Milan in the semifinals.

His performance left all and sundry wide eyed with admiration.

For Barcelona president Joan Laporta there was just one term he could use for the world player of the year, who was the sixth player to record a quadruple in a Champions League match and the first since Andrei Shevchenko scored four for AC Milan against Fenerbahce in Nov 2005.

"There was an incredible genius in this match: Leo (Messi)," said Laporta.

"He finished off his chances in magisterial style."

Barca coach Pep Guardiola, no mean player himself when he bore the Barcelona colors, paid a handsome tribute to Messi, though, he was also highly complimentary of the lesser lights of the team.

"Messi was out of this world, the difference between the two sides," said the 39-year-old, who won the Champions League as a player with Barcelona in 1992.

"He is a special player, on a different plane to others."

A shellshocked Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia - whose stunning saves in the first 10 minutes of the first leg in London last week had effectively kept the match alive - was equally complimentary.

"He is a brilliant player and he was fantastic in this game," said the Spanish goalkeeper.

"As a goalkeeper you try to anticipate what he's going to do but he can do whatever he wants and when he wants to.

"He couldn't score in the first leg but tonight was another matter. He is the best player I have ever faced. I have a bad memory of tonight but he is the best player in the world."

For Danish international striker Nicklas Bendtner, whose early goal proved a false dawn for Arsenal, Messi's performance left him awestruck.

"If you lose a game, you want to lose it against a performance like that," said Bendtner.

"Messi is a phenomenal player."

Arsenal's French defender Mikael Silvestre, who inadvertently created Messi's first goal when the ball cannoned off his shin to the Argentinian, said it was virtually impossible to handle the Barcelona maestro.

Lionel Messi celebrates scoring his first goal against Arsenal during the Champions League quarter-final second-leg match at Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona. [Agencies]

"Messi is phenomenal in the way he reads the game and in his movement," said Silvestre, who was somewhat surprisingly chosen ahead of veteran Sol Campbell to start the match.

"For his last goal, that was typical of his whole performance this evening.

"He has moments when he disappears to get a breather, which then readies him for what comes afterwards, when he has the opportunities to get into his stride. It is true he is unstoppable once he gets going on the ball."

For Messi, though, his focus had moved on quickly from the match.

"I am delighted with this victory," said Messi, whose four goals took his total to 119 for Barcelona.

"However, we have to carry on our work. We have a really important match on Saturday (against Real Madrid who lead them in the title race on goal difference).

"We have to win there even if it is just by one goal."

Agence france-presse