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Barca send out warning as Stuttgart are stuffed | Barcelona sent out a huge warning to anyone looking to take their European crown after demolishing Stuttgart 4-0 at the Nou Camp to advance to the last eight by five goals to one on aggregate. Lionel Messi was the star man on the night, bagging two goals and influencing nearly everything Barcelona did.
It took only 13 minutes for the first goal of the evening as Lionel Messi ran at the Stuttgart defense, who backed off and allowed Messi to shoot from 25 yards out into the top corner past the outstretched arms of Jens Lehmann.
It got worse for the Germans before half time as Pedro grabbed Barcelona’s second goal on 22 minutes. It was Messi again who involved as his pass set Yaya Toure free inside the box, and the Ivorian’s crisp pass found Pedro who couldn’t miss from six yards out. The Germans did manage to get to half time with the score only at 2-0, but it didn’t take long before Barcelona grabbed their third of the evening.
Yet again it was Lionel Messi who scored with another effort from outside the box. It was a sweeping Barcelona move which ended with Dani Alves’s flicking the ball to the Argentine, who turned inside the defender and then guided it past Jens Lehmann with a neat finish.
That wasn’t the end of the damage for the Spanish side, who got their fourth of the night just before the end when substitute Bojan, only on the field for a minute, slotted the ball past Lehmann from 20 yards.
It could have been worse for the German side as Messi should have had a hat-trick and Henry, Iniesta, and Toure all could, and maybe should, have scored. Stuttgart never threatened in the whole game and the scoreline didn’t flatter the hosts.
No-one will want to face the Catalans in Friday’s draw on this form, and whoever does get them will have to be at their very best to get close to them.
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Would love to see a Rooney vs. Messi matchup in the finals, although Inter Milan will be dangerous too.