Or should that read Leo Messi 4 - 1 Arsenal. I ran out of superlatives a long time ago for this unwordly footballing creature. They say he was born in Santa Fe, Argentina. I am beginning to have my doubts. Tonight was more than just another Messi exhibition. An exhibition was what we saw against Real Zaragoza. Against Stuttgart and Valencia. Tonight was more than that. It was the performance of a lifetime, and I predict there'll be a few more. Arsenal had no answer, but neither would any team in world football. You could create a dream back four and place Buffon or Casillas behind them. Hell, put them both between the sticks. It wouldn't make a blind bit of difference. When Leo is in this mood, you might as well wave the white flag. Ironically, next Saturday thats exactly what Leo will be trying to stop.
The match. Well Arsenal started brightly. They put plenty of pressure on Xavi and Busquets, looked solid at the back and dangerous on the break. Calm before the storm. The English side even had the cheek to take an early lead through Bendtners opportunistic strike after a lightning burst from Theo Walcott. Barcelona even looked a little shellshocked. But they needn't have feared. It was an error from Mikael Silvestre, but in an inch of space and with inches of the goal to aim for, the ball rocketed into the top right corner off Messis left peg and Barca were back in business. His second came from a late burst into the area as he took Pedros flick in his stride and slotted past a helpless Almunia. His hat-trick came after he was set free in the Arsenal half, raced towards the Arsenal goal and lifted a glorious chip over a redundant Manuel Almunia. Breathtaking. It would be churlish and damnright foolish to say Barcelona are a one man team. It's just with such quality behind him he is set free to reek havoc. And there is no finer havoc-reeker on this planet.
The second half couldn't possibly live up to what we were treated with in the first. And it was inevitably so as Barca took it down a gear and Arsenal began to show signs of life. But with the game and tie drawing to a close Leo popped up for his fourth. It came after an umpteenth scintillating run, which would have had thousands across the globe swearing in amazement. How the fxck did he do that? Lost one defender. Feinted his way past another. Shot past a third. For once, Almunia stopped his effort, but he was nutmegged by the second. The Camp Nou rose as one to serenade their hero. Inter Milan await in the semis in two weeks time, but before Barca have a Clasico to negotiate. Leo Messi has scored in 83 matches for Barca. They've lost just the one. And Real Madrid claim they're not scared?