BARCELONA (AFP) - Lionel Messi pounced on two Manchester United mistakes to score twice and end their hopes of another Camp Nou comeback as Barcelona breezed into the Champions League semi-finals on Tuesday (April 16).
After an excellent start, United were undone twice in four minutes by Messi, who first nicked the ball off the careless Ashley Young and then watched as a weak shot from distance squirmed underneath David de Gea.
Philippe Coutinho, in perhaps his best performance of the season, added a third with a curling effort into the top corner and by the end, an outclassed United might have been relieved the score was not more traumatic than 3-0, 4-0 on aggregate.
A dizzying opening spell, in which Marcus Rashford had hit the crossbar, was long-forgotten, even if it could offer Barcelona's next opponents some encouragement.
Liverpool, who take a 2-0 lead to Porto on Wednesday, are the most likely obstacle between Barca and their first Champions League final since they last won this tournament in 2015. Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane might feel encouraged.
Instead, United's pair of early errors made this another night about Messi and ensured any faint hopes of repeating the comeback against Paris Saint-Germain, or even the famous 1999 rescue act against Bayern Munich, on this same pitch, were dashed.
Messi now has his 109th and 110th Champions League goals and, potentially, three extra matches to reduce the gap on Cristiano Ronaldo's 126, after Juventus were dumped out by Ajax. Barcelona's fans celebrated that too.
United's coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had urged his strikers to be more lethal here but it felt ominous that even before kick-off, Rashford, Anthony Martial, Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez had hit 42 goals this season, while Messi on his own had 43.
Around an hour before kick-off, Alex Ferguson was on the side of the pitch, shaking hands with Ryan Giggs and sharing words with Solskjaer, the scorer of that goal against Munich here 20 years ago.
They could have hardly have asked for a better start. United were brilliant for eight minutes and could have been ahead within 30 seconds as Rashford raced onto a curving Paul Pogba pass and toed away a shot, which Marc-Andre ter Stegen bravely left to graze his own crossbar.
Magic MessiÂ
Barca were flustered, so much so the crowd even cheered with relief when Arthur Melo played his team's first convincing pass.
Then, Barcelona had their own eight-minute flurry as United almost conceded a penalty, ruled out after Fred took the ball before bringing down Ivan Rakitic, and then did concede, twice, to Messi.
Both could have been avoided, even if Young's turn on the edge of his own box was punished in devastating fashion. Young lunged in to atone for his mistake but Messi skipped away from him, poked it through Fred's legs and then whipped the ball past into the corner.
The second was simpler. Fred and Scott McTominay closed in on Coutinho and the ball spilled out to Messi, whose dribbling shot with his right foot should have drawn a routine save. Instead, De Gea let is squirm under his body for 2-0.
Pogba lashed out at the increasingly influential Arthur and Barca could have had a third before half-time, De Gea scrambling across to save on the line when Sergi Roberto should have finished.
Messi could have had his hat-trick too after Luis Suarez found him with a superb cutback and there was an almost comical sequence in the second half when the Argentinian played with his United chasers before finally being bundled over by McTominay.
Rashford might have made it interesting if he had controlled Pogba's ball over the top but Barcelona were in exhibition mode, helped by a vintage Coutinho curler after he had cut inside from the left.
Messi even attempted a bicycle kick and there were celebrations from the home fans when news went round that Ajax had taken the lead in Turin. They believe this is their year.
BERLIN (Reuters) - German champions Bayern Munich have not yet made an offer for Manchester City winger Leroy Sane despite their long-standing desire to sign him, club CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
Why Bayern Munich have not yet bid for Man City winger Leroy Sane
Cubs aim to keep momentum going vs. Brewers. "He's going to continue to be in there. He's a really important player for us, and we're going to do everything we can to get him going."
Brewers aim to keep momentum going vs. Pirates - CBSSports.com
Jesus fires as Man City snatch top spot from Liverpool 10:49 PM. Manchester City's Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus (C) celebrates scoring his team's first goal. touch as City moved two
Football: Gabriel Jesus fires as Manchester City snatch top
Liverpool have banked record-breaking revenues in excess of £250million for the 2018-19 season, after their Premier League and Champions League exploits.. For the first time a football club has
The final twist in the Premier League title race Liverpool FC
Small Cities Feel the Clock Ticking on Opportunity Zones which has an $11 million revolving loan fund to help revitalize "core urban" areas. Oscar is Next
TIN - Ticking - YouTube
260 Director Fas jobs available on Indeed.com. Apply to Deputy Director, Assistant Director, Director of Program Management and more! Director Fas Jobs, Employment | Indeed.com Skip to Job Postings , Search Close
Sergio Ramos concedes that Cristiano Ronaldo was "very decisive" for Real Madrid, but insists "winning is always the objective" even with a talismanic presence having departed the club.
Ramos: Winning is Real's only objective with or without Ronaldo
Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba quickly deleted a controversial social media post of him smiling after manager Jose Mourinho was sacked by the club on Tuesday.
'Caption this': Pogba deletes cryptic post after Mourinho axed
* Everton rode their luck for a 2-0 home win over Bournemouth * Kurt Zouma broke the deadlock with a 61st minute header * Dominic Calvert-Lewin sealed the win in stoppage time
Soccer-Everton ride luck for 2-0 victory at home to
(Reuters) - Manchester City will play a pre-season match in Japan for the first time when they take on J League side Yokohama F. Marinos on July 27, the Premier League champions said on Wednesday.
Football: Manchester City to play pre-season match in Japan
Warnock says Sala tragedy is most difficult week of his career. The light aircraft carrying the Argentine disappeared over the English Channel a week ago as the 28-year-old flew to Cardiff from
Soccer: Warnock says Sala tragedy is most difficult week of
PSG coach Tuchel hits out at Neymar after fan attack Paris Saint-Germain coach Thomas Tuchel (C) speaks to Neymar before extra-time in the French Cup final
PSG Coach Thomas Tuchel Hits Out At Neymar After Fan Attack
Football: Man City suffer shock Premier League defeat by
Manchester United will look to entertain at Wembley as they face their toughest test since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's appointment against Spurs. United will attack Spurs, vows Lingard | FourFourTwo
Champions League: Solskjaer promises to attack PSG - Sportstar
MILAN (AFP) - Juventus clinched their eighth consecutive Serie A title on Saturday (April 20) with a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Fiorentina.. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Juventus win eighth consecutive Serie A title | New Straits
watch soccer live streaming qatar
watch soccer online free streaming live no registration
super soccer tv live streaming napoli vs juventus
watch premier league live streaming juventus vs manchester united
watch coppa america live streaming espn
watch premier league live streaming online - soccer portal
watch soccer live streaming kenya
watch live stream soccer games online free
watch champions league live streaming ptv sports
watch coppa america live streaming hd free
watch arsenal southampton premier league live stream
watch coppa america live streaming bola
watch soccer game live espn
watch coppa america live streaming sub eng
where to watch free live soccer streaming online
watch coppa america live streaming indosiar
watch premier league live stream hd
watch coppa america live streaming live free
watch soccer online free streaming live india
soccer tv live football streaming portugal
watch premier league live streaming juventus
www.watch premier league live stream.com
watch live soccer stream android
watch barclays premier league online live streaming
watch champions league online free live streaming hd
watch english premier league live streaming free
watch premier league live streaming zimbabwe
watch premier league stream reddit
watch soccer online free streaming live english
watch champions league live streaming crictime
watch soccer online free streaming live manchester united
watch coppa america live streaming jamaica
watch coppa america live streaming portugal
watch soccer online free streaming live hd
watch coppa america live streaming cricfree
watch soccer world cup live streaming
watch the premier league live stream
watch us soccer live stream
watch epl live streaming free no sign up
watch champions league live streaming live free
watch soccer games live stream free
watch live soccer online free streaming now
watch champions league live streaming xbox one
how to watch premier league live streaming
watch uefa champions league live streaming sportek
watch live soccer streaming free android
soccer tv live football streaming garuda select
watch coppa america live streaming australia
watch champions league semi final draw live stream
watch premier league live streaming jamaica
watch soccer live - live football streaming
super soccer tv live streaming persib
watch usa soccer live stream
watch real madrid vs juventus live streaming of champions league
watch coppa america live streaming without cable
watch coppa america live streaming zee5
watch soccer live streaming kenya vs ethiopia
watch coppa america live streaming ufc
watch coppa america live streaming ronaldo7
watch champions league live streaming bein sport
watch coppa america live streaming totalsportek
watch live streaming soccer games
watch coppa america live streaming xfinity
watch soccer live streaming zee tv
where to watch champions league live streaming
watch soccer online free streaming live arabic
watch coppa america live streaming vf
watch uefa champions league live streaming free online
watch indian premier league live stream online
watch coppa america live streaming philippines
watch champions league live streaming now free
watch soccer online free streaming live canada
watch coppa america live streaming in india
watch soccer am online live streaming
watch soccer online free streaming live without registration
watch premier league live streaming live
watch soccer online free streaming live uk
apps to watch live streaming soccer
watch coppa america live streaming hd
watch coppa america live streaming direct
watch soccer online free streaming live bbc
live tv soccer live stream - live3s.com
watch coppa america live streaming now
watch champions league live streaming espn
watch soccer online free streaming live espn
live football watch free live football streaming free soccer
watch coppa america live streaming free
watch premier league live streaming quality
watch premier league live stream reddit
tv soccer live stream sky
watch soccer games live stream free app
how to watch champions league live streaming
watch premier league live streaming yify
watch champions league final live streaming
how to watch uefa champions league live streaming
watch premier league matches live streaming
watch epl live streaming on iphone
watch champions league live streaming pakistan
soccer tv live football streaming gratuit
watch soccer live streaming reddit
super soccer tv live streaming piala dunia
watch champions league live streaming zee5
watch soccer game live now
watch coppa america live streaming gratis
watch coppa america live streaming kenya
watch live english premier league online free streaming
where to watch premier league live streaming
watch coppa america live streaming barcelona
watch champions league live streaming pc
watch bangladesh premier league live streaming
watch champions league live streaming canada
watch uefa champions league final live streaming free online
watch sky sports premier league online free streaming live
watch premier league live streaming vk
watch champions league live streaming eng
watch premier league live streaming xbox one
watch bangladesh premier league live streaming free
super soccer tv live streaming indonesia
watch coppa america live streaming spain
watch champions league live streaming video
watch soccer online free streaming live first row
watch coppa america live streaming english
watch champions league live streaming mobile
watch soccer live stream apk
watch coppa america live streaming bein sport
watch premier league live streaming zee tv
watch soccer games online free streaming live
watch champions league draw live streaming free
watch coppa america live streaming sctv
watch coppa america live streaming yify
watch live soccer streaming on android
#liverpool #bayern #bayernmunich #league2 #cr7 #Vip45 #nationsleague #Liverpool #ronaldo #gym #fut #manchestercity #cristiano #seriea #thomasmeunier #lfc #coys #salah #GarageCafeDxb #livestreams #rugby #soccermemes #MyDubai #livestreaming #paulmcartney #soccerbible #oasisofficial #league1 #liverpoolfans #transfernews #mancity #vandijk #ballondor #liverpoolfc #ucl #MSport #freekicks #trollfootball #footballfans #soccer #bayervshoffenheim #premierleague #neymar #4Series #zidane #sixtimes #bundesliga #cappucino #lionelmessi #noelgallagher #Sunday #uefanationsleague #freekick #realmadridcf #battuteepiche #satira #JUVENTUS #commentimemorabili #comico #soccer #serieatim #chocolatecoffee #insegreto #football
No comments:
Post a Comment