Barcelona v Chelsea – story of the match
The Catalan side were 3-0 winners to take the tie 4-1 on aggregate.
Lionel Messi punished error-prone Chelsea as Barcelona advanced to the Champions League quarter-finals with a 3-0 win at the Nou Camp.
After eight appearances without a goal against Chelsea, Messi settled this tie by scoring the equaliser in last month’s first leg and two goals here, either side of Ousmane Dembele’s first Barca goal, for a 4-1 aggregate success.
Chelsea will feel aggrieved not to have been awarded a penalty for a Gerard Pique foul on Marcos Alonso when 2-0 down. Alonso also hit the outside of a post with a free-kick and an Antonio Rudiger header hit the bar late on.
What they said
Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde: “That goes with Messi’s personality, the sense of responsibility that he has. He knows in certain moments stars have to come out. He forces himself to do that. We’re lucky enough to be seeing something that will go down in history.”
Tweet of the match
Moment of the match
Star Man – Lionel Messi
Data point
Messi now has 100 Champions League goals and has scored six times in five straight games. The Argentinian has scored in successive games against Chelsea after failing to score in his first eight appearances against the Blues.
Disastrous start
Wasted opportunities in the first half
No hard feelings?
Ratings
Chelsea: Thibaut Courtois 5, Cesar Azpilicueta 6, Andreas Christensen 5, Antonio Rudiger 5, Victor Moses 6, Cesc Fabregas 6, N’Golo Kante 6, Marcos Alonso 7, Willian 7, Olivier Giroud 6, Eden Hazard 6. Substitutes: Davide Zappacosta (for Moses, 67) 5, Alvaro Morata (for Giroud, 67) 6, Pedro (for Hazard, 82) 6.
Who’s up next?
Leicester v Chelsea (FA Cup quarter-final, March 18)
Barcelona v Athletic Bilbao (LaLiga, March 18)
