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Barca saw off Stuttgart 4-0 at the Nou Camp with Messi again to the forefront with two goals, whilst Pedro and Bojan grabbed the other two. Two-nil up after 20 minutes, Barca cruised into the quarter finals.

The reigning champions went into the game at 1-1 after the first leg, but there was no question of sitting on the result as a Messi inspired first 20 minutes saw them go two goals up. Dominating throughout, Guardiola’s team scored two more in the second half and sent a clear message to the rest of Europe – we are the champions!

Attack from the off

In front of a packed Nou Camp, Barca began strongly, as Guardiola sent out an attacking formation with Ibra on the bench and Henry, Messi and Pedro providing the ammunition up front.


Lehmann was soon in action saving from the front three, but the World Player of the year gave the German keeper no chance on 10 minutes when he took full advantage of the space created for him by Henry and Touré and weaved his way across the Stuttgart box before firing a left foot shot high into the net

Total control

With the game clearly going in their favour, Barca showed they could fight hard to regain the ball and then when they had it they were prepared to slow the game down and keep possession, patiently waiting for the chance to bamboozle the visitors’ defence. And that was just what they did for the second when Messi culminated a patient move by setting Touré Yaya free down the left to centre for Pedro, who put away the second with Lehman stranded at the near post.

Messi on target again

2-0 up after just 22 minutes, the Barca defence had no problems controlling Stuttgart’s attempts to get back into the game in what was left of the half. After the break, Barca dropped their rhythm a tad, but Messi was always a threat, setting up Youré with a good chance that the African shot wide, before popping up himself on the edge of the box to receive a back heel from Alves and shoot past the luckless Lehmann to make it three on the hour mark.

Party time

The fans were partying now and the only downer was the injury to Busquets, who was replaced by Ibra. Messi was on fire and he so nearly grabbed another hat trick on 67 minutes with a header from a cross from Alves on 67 minutes. Stuttgart were a broken team and it seemed that Messi would have to make it four, but in the end that fell to Bojan, who came on late for Iniesta, after Ibra had set him up for a tap-in to seal Barca’s spot in the last eight.