Lionel Messi exposes Courtois and educates Hazard as Barcelona live up to the hype
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Updated 15/03/2018 at 07:24 GMT
Barcelona work hard, play hard and also have Lionel Messi in peak form as a dazed Chelsea discovered in suffering a 3-0 defeat by doing little wrong, writes Desmond Kane.
Lionel Messi of Barcelona celebrates with Sergi Roberto and Luis Suarez as he scores their first goal during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 Second Leg match FC Barcelona and Chelsea FC at Camp Nou on March 14, 2018 in Barcelona, Spain.
Image credit: Eurosport
At least it wasn’t as awful as United. The highest compliment you could pay Chelsea in their 3-0 defeat in Barcelona is that it was nowhere near as poverty-stricken as Manchester United’s demise the night before.
While United suffered a dispiriting 2-1 loss to Sevilla in the last 16 of football’s finest club competition on Tuesday, it must be said a revved-up Chelsea performed extremely well during a slightly bewildering 4-1 aggregate going over that sounds worse than it was.
It was an evening when Chelsea’s manager Antonio Conte must have been left wondering, what if? Barcelona enjoyed 56 percent of possession, but Chelsea unearthed a weighty 11 shots at the home goal compared to Barca's eight.
"We have no regrets. If you watch the game, you can see the final result is unfair," said Conte. It is fair to say the Champions League remains football's school of hard knocks.
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Lionel Messi of Barcelona celebrates with Andre Gomes as he scores their third goal during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 Second Leg match FC Barcelona and Chelsea FC at Camp Nou on March 14, 2018 in Barcelona, Spain.
Image credit: Getty Images
It could all have been so different at the Camp Nou.
If only Thibaut Courtois had managed to shut his legs. If only Eden Hazard had not gone missing on the night. If only a Marcos Alonso free-kick did not hit a post before half-time. If only the Slovenia referee Damir Skomina had awarded a penalty when Alonso tumbled after being clearly caught by Gerard Pique. If only.
But when Ernesto Valverde's team required a man to nudge the match their way they always have Lionel Messi, football's equivalent of The Flash. Like they always turn to Messi. And he never lets anybody down.
This tie was probably won and lost at Stamford Bridge three weeks ago when Andres Iniesta played in Messi to score as Barcelona plucked a 1-1 draw from the first leg to prevent Willian a winner.
But you might as well put the finishing touches to it before 97,000 of your own people.
Chelsea were still getting their bearings in Catalonia when they haemorrhaged the opening goal after only three minutes with Messi prodding the ball through the legs of Courtois, who was badly at fault for failing to make the stop at his near post.
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Antonio Conte Lionel Messi Barcelona Chelsea 2018
Image credit: Getty Images
Messi provided Ousmane Dembele with a crackling second on 20 minutes before again walloping the ball through the legs of Courtois for a third on 63 minutes with his own legs pumping like pistons.
It brought up his 100th goal in the Champions League - Argentina's favourite sporting artist reached the landmark 14 games quicker and 266 shots fewer than time-honoured foe Cristiano Ronaldo - and illustrated why Barcelona should be regarded as the team to beat in this year's competition. Arguably above Real Madrid, and certainly above Manchester City.
They are clinical in the extreme, are extremely efficient in defence - they have lost only two goals in reaching the last eight - and have a work ethic that makes them pragmatic as well as possessive. They remain unbeaten in La Liga. And they also have Lionel.
'God Save The King' was the huge tribute unveiled of Messi before kick-off. Only he doesn't need saving. Poor traumatised opponents need saving. He has scored six times in this tournament so far in an astonishing seasonal haul of 33 goals from 34 outings. The king is alive, long live the king.
Much was made before this match of what Hazard could do for Chelsea, but he ended up resembling the invisible man before being hooked with Pedro wheeled on with 10 minutes left.
For a figure who has scored 87 goals in five seasons at Chelsea, has won two Premier Leagues and the Europa League, he clearly has some way to go.
He will never reach the levels of Messi, but it would be nice to give it a proper go as Conte had suggested prior to this tie. To be revered as a true icon, it is important to do your business in Europe.
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Eden Hazard of Chelsea is chased by Sergio Busquets of Barcelona during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 Second Leg match FC Barcelona and Chelsea FC at Camp Nou on March 14, 2018 in Barcelona, Spain.
Image credit: Eurosport
His role behind Olivier Giroud was made for him, but he could not influence the match as he wound up watching Messi show him how it is done. It is one thing doing it at Stoke, but can you do it on a cold night in Barcelona?
If Courtois was exposed, Hazard was educated. Both by Messi. They will not be the last to fall under his spell. The possibilities are endless and delicious under Valverde.
This Barcelona side are not as celebrated perhaps as previous generations, but they are coming.
Desmond Kane
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