Two goals from Lionel Messi led a stunning Barcelona fightback as
they overturned a 2-0 first-leg deficit against AC Milan with a 4-0
demolition of the Italians at the Camp Nou on Tuesday night.
Indeed it was a night so perfect for the Blaugrana, it was almost as if they had planned it all along.
After defeat in the San Siro three weeks ago, Xavi Hernandez pointed
out that the only thing this generation of Barca players were lacking
after three leagues, two Champions Leagues and two Copa del Rey titles
over the past four seasons was a historic European comeback.
A comeback that in the end was achieved by almost single-handedly
picking off the doubts that had lingered over an unconvincing past
couple of weeks.
The murmurings over Messi’s record against Italian sides, the lack of
support for the Argentine when it comes to goal-scoring and their
inability to keep a clean sheet were all answered in emphatic style on a
night that will live long in the memory of those who savoured it at the
Camp Nou.
Messi, as is customary, got the party started with a sumptuous
curling shot into the top corner after just five minutes to break his
duck from open play against Italian sides at the 10th time of asking.
The crucial period of the match then truly began as Barca swarmed
forward towards Christian Abbiati’s goal sensing their prize was there
for the taking. The Italian ‘keeper halted their momentum with two
outstanding saves from Andres Iniesta drives, but despite the possession
stats that weighed heavily in the hosts favour all night, it wasn’t all
one-way traffic.
Barca’s insistence to play on the front foot consistently left gaps to be
exploited in behind their marauding full-backs Dani Alves and Jordi Alba.
Stephan El Shaarawy, Kevin-Prince Boateng and M’Baye Niang, however,
weren’t as deadly on the counter-attack as they had been in the
first-leg and the tie was swung decisively in Barca’s favour by a
two-minute passage of play just before half-time.
At one end Niang sprinted clear through on goal, set himself ahead of
the on-rushing Victor Valdes and rolled the ball past the ‘keeper only
to see it agonisingly bounce to safety off the foot of the post.
Moments later Messi weaved another opening onto his deadly left-foot
and uncorked a rasping low drive that left Abbiati helpless to equal the
score on aggregate.
Thereafter there seemed only one winner, especially once a trademark
Xavi pass had cut the Milan defence wide open 10 minutes after the break
and David Villa provided the clinical finish that has been lacking from
any Barca player bar Messi all season.
With their rustiness in front of goal well and truly mended it was
left to a defence that, before Saturday’s 2-0 win over Deportivo de la
Coruna, had conceded in 13 straight games to hold firm for the next 35
minutes, which they did valiantly despite the odd scare.
And, in true Barca style, they sealed it with a touch of carefree
elegance as, with the clock just having ticked into stoppage time and
just needing to hold out to qualify, their left-back Jordi Alba galloped
the full length of the pitch to clip home Alexis Sanchez’s cross.
Within 90 minutes the Catalans had gone from the supposed end of an era back to Champions League favourites.
And, having been resuscitated, it would take a brave punter to bet
against them returning to Wembley to win the competition in the British
capital for a third time come May.
No comments:
Post a Comment