LIONEL MESSI BRACE ELIMINATES CHELSEA OUT OF THE UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Barcelona star Lionel Messi who recently had his third child was on target for the Blaugrana as he scored a brace and provided the assist for Ousmane Dembele to ensure LaLiga leaders swept Chelsea away by 3 - 0 in their second leg round of 16 UEFA Champions League clash at Camp Nou.

Barcelona are in the quarter-finals courtesy of their 4-1 aggregate win over Londoners. The both side played out  Chelsea to a 1- 1 draw in the first-leg at Stamford Bridge three weeks ago.

It was Barcelona’s first win against Chelsea at the Camp Nou since 2005.

Messi inevitably inflicted the damage in the third minute as he gave Barcelona the lead as early as three minutes, which was the fastest goal he has ever scored for his country and club and also his 99th Champions League goal.

He turned provider as his brilliant assist set up Ousmane Dembele in the 20^th minute to make it 2-0 going into the break.

After playing on the back foot early in the second half it was Barcelona who struck again as Messi scored his second to make it 3-0 on 63 minutes off a breakaway, as he breezed past the Chelsea defeder before unleashing a low shot which went through Courtois legs again. Messi  has now scored 100 times in 123 games in the UEFA Champions League

Barcelona got off to a good start as Leo Messi slipped the ball under Thibaut Courtois from a tight angle off a Luis Suarez assist for the Argentine superstar’s 100th Champions League goal.

Barcelona have now qualified for the quarter-finals for the 11th straight season since they got knocked out by Liverpool in the round of 16 in 2007.

Chelsea almost responded immediately from a Willian free-kick but his effort deflected off a Barcelona player for a corner.

Dembele doubled Barcelona’s lead in the 20th minute as he fired past Courtois into the roof of the net following a break by Messi after Cesc Fabregas gave the ball away in the centre circle.

Chelsea should have scored on 37 minutes through N’Golo Kante who ran into the Barcelona area but his left-foot strike went just off target.

Marcos Alonso beautiful free-kick for Chelsea in one minute of first half added time only came off the post.

Barcelona almost made it 3 after a wrong pass from the goal keeper but Luis Suarez continued in his poor form in the UEFA Champions League as Courtois made up for his mistakes.

 Chelsea had a shout for a penalty when Marcos Alonso appeared to have been brought down when through on goal in Barcelona box 18 yard area.

Messi almost had his hat-trick on 79 minutes from a free-kick but Courtois punched the shot for a corner.

With five minutes left Courtois produced a superb save as he palmed Paulinho’s header from a corner over the bar for another corner.

Chelsea had two opportunities late in the game, first through Davide Zappacosta whose shot was well saved by Ter Stegen, while Antonio Rudiger’s header came off the bar the second ball hit the crossbar.