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Magic Messi leads Barca past Stuttgart

Wed 17th, March 2010

Barcelona, Spain (Sports Network) - Lionel Messi scored two goals and helped set up another on Wednesday as Barcelona cruised to a 4-0 win over Stuttgart in the second leg of their Round of 16 contest in the Champions League.

Messi scored his first goal in the 13th minute to open the scoring, while Pedro added a second goal nine minutes later and Messi scored again on the hour mark before substitute Bojan Krkic capped the evening with a strike in the 89th minute.

The result gives the defending champions a 5-1 aggregate victory and moves them into the quarterfinals of the competition after a 1-1 draw in Germany in the first leg.

Many people were surprised by the fact that Stuttgart entered Wednesday's game on level terms with the Spanish giants, but Barca quickly took control of the game with a goal in the 13th minute from Messi, who took a pass in midfield, carried the ball to the top of the penalty area and fired a shot between two defenders that found the upper corner of the net.

It was a great individual effort from the Argentine, and he had a hand in Barca's second goal nine minutes later.

Messi chipped a ball into the box for Yaya Toure and he immediately squared it to Pedro in front of goal for a simple tap in.

The home side had things well in hand as the second half began, and after Toure went close with a shot from 20 yards, Messi scored from just about the same spot after turning a defender and driving a low effort past the outstretched hand of goalkeeper Jens Lehmann.

Messi had a chance to complete his hat trick eight minutes later when a pinpoint cross from Daniel Alves allowed him to head the ball on goal from close range, but Lehmann reacted well to keep it out.

A pair of substitutes then combined for Barca's fourth goal as Zlatan Ibrahimovic played a ball to Bojan in behind the Stuttgart defense and he neatly finished off the play.

Bordeaux became the second team from Ligue 1 to reach the quarterfinals as they held off Olympiacos, 2-1 on Wednesday to earn a 3-1 aggregate win.

Yoann Gourcuff scored five minutes into the match for Bordeaux, while Konstantinos Mitroglou equalized 25 minutes from time. However, Marouane Chamakh put the result out of reach with his header two minutes from time after a cross from Benoit Tremoulinas.