Messi is 100
With Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi is the only other players to ever reached 100 golas in the Champions League, all with FC Barcelona. After never being able to score against Chelsea in previous matches, the Argentinian scored 3 goals in the two legs of the Round of 16. It was also Messi’s quickest goal ever in just two minutes into the game.
FC Barcelona coach Valverde on advancing and another stellar performance from his superstar:
“The game started according to the same script as the first leg. But the early goal changed the panorama. After the goal, they needed to step it up a bit and they could have scored on a couple of occasions. They were dangerous coming forward.
The players needed to adjust, and we improved and then we scored the third goal.”
Lionel Messi added:
“It was a really tough game. But we played strong as a team.
Scoring so early meant we could control the game, but we didn’t feel we had sentenced the tie until we got our third goal. Until then, we had to fight hard and suffer to achieve a very important qualification for the team.”
For Chelsea, coach Conte admits Barcelona’ s superiority:
“Our start was terrible, to concede after only two minutes. but after we tried to play football and at times we dominated the game and had chances to score.
Over the two legs we have hit the post four times and this is very strange. I think a fantastic player moved the final result and the qualification because in these two legs, Lionel Messi moved the final result. He scored three goals and made an assist for Dembele.
It is a pity but I must be very proud of the commitment of my players. They gave everything and we have to continue in this way, with this will to fight and desire to fight together.
We were a bit unlucky over the two legs and we showed we can play in both ways. For sure in the first leg, defensively we were more compact. Tonight they scored three times but I think we did not deserve this type of result.”
