The Champions League game between Barcelona and Stuttgart at Estadio Camp Nou on Wednesday March 17 2010.
Barcelona advanced with celestial ease into the last eight of the Champions League on Wednesday night via the sort of victory that will set alarm bells ringing in the offices of the managers of those seven other remaining sides. Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger will have had an uneasy night’s sleep fretting over the possibility of confronting Lionel Messi, who as ever performed prodigies as his side ground Stuttgart into the Nou Camp dust.
My, didn’t the defending champions make it look easy; they didn’t even need Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who was confined to the bench until mid-way through the second half, or Xavi, who was injured, to win 4-0. Arsenal, Manchester United, Inter Milan, CSKA Moscow, Lyon, Bayern Munich, and Bordeaux will have taken note; it will be a miserable manager who draws Pep Guardiola’s side from the bag on Friday.
Everyone knows Barcelona can play divine football. That was what this was, but it was also more than that. It was a demonstration of their determination. An away goal from Ibrahimovic in the first leg meant all they need do was prevent Stuttgart from scoring, but even at 2-0 up, Barcelona had the look of a side who wanted a rout.
Naturally it was Messi who set the wrecking ball swinging. He was at the heart of Pedro’s goal, his second was serene, but it was his first that really set the eyes on stalks. He dribbled from near his own half to the edge of the Stuttgart area and, as four white shirts surrounded him, sent his left-footed shot lancing into the top corner. Words fail.
If their next opponents can seek solace from anything, it is that this was the first time Barcelona have scored more than two goals in Europe this season. Meagre crumbs of comfort, admittedly.
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