BARCELONA (REUTERS) - Lionel Messi lead the way with two goals and two assists as Barcelona reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League in style by thrashing Olympique Lyonnais 5-1 at home on Wednesday (March 13) and advancing by the same scoreline on aggregate.
Barca captain Messi opened the scoring with a "Panenka" penalty chipped straight down the middle in the 17th minute after Luis Suarez was fouled in the area, putting the home side ahead in the tie after a goalless first leg in France.
Suarez then rounded Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes to lay on a perfect pass for the unmarked Philippe Coutinho to nudge into an open net and double Barca's lead, although Lyon hauled themselves back into contention with a second-half strike from Lucas Tousart.
Messi soon killed off any hopes of an unlikely comeback from the French side, however, carving his way through the defence to score in the 78th minute before toying with Lyon's back line twice more and laying off passes for Gerard Pique and then Ousmane Dembele to complete the rout.
Barca coach Ernesto Valverde had warned his side of complacency after Paris St Germain and Real Madrid's surprise exits, and his words carried more weight after Atletico Madrid were knocked out by Juventus despite a 2-0 first leg win.
His side were in a more vulnerable position as a score draw would have sent them out, and they began the game as if they meant business, with Messi firing an early shot which Lopes had to beat away for a corner.
Lyon's Lopes had to be taken off injured later in the first half, leaving the field in tears after taking a blow to the face, with Mathieu Gorgelin replacing him and making his Champions League debut.
Barca looked unsettled for a brief period after Tousart's goal had put Lyon one goal away from knocking the Catalans out, and the home side defended with an air of panic.
But Messi soon eased their nerves, and they reached the last eight of Europe's elite competition for the 12th consecutive season and will be Spain's only representatives in Friday's quarter-final draw.
Poch Tells Tottenham To Purchase Players More Spurs are guaranteed their best finish of the Premier League era and will be runners-up to Leicester if they avoid defeat at relegated Newcastle on Sunday.
'It makes Tottenham more attractive' - Poch on whether new
Jurgen Klopp will write himself into Liverpool folklore if he can guide the Reds to their first Klopp's Reds have suffered defeat in the but he is dealing with it well and is in control of
The Jurgen Klopp message that provided Liverpool with
Youngest local SPL Coach, 33, unfazed : Khidhir relishes building on the good work of his predecessor Kraljevic at Balestier Khalsa The Straits Times (Singapore) December 29, 2018
Fulham vs Manchester United: Claudio Ranieri on why Red
tellmysport.com/soccer/fulham-vs-manchester-united-claudio-ranieri-on-why-red-devils-game-wont-decide-relegation-battle/
Youngest local SPL Coach, 33, unfazed. Related Posts. 06/05/2019. The England team in their own words ahead of Women's World Cup. 06/05/2019. Portugal have penalty
An increase in SPL local coaches, but Kadir Yahaya urges for
Spurs hope to be in new stadium 'before Christmas', says Pochettino Pochettino hails Tottenham's European progress. Champions League: Pochettino confident Kane will face Madrid.
Mauricio Pochettino urges Spurs to fight for title and
Neymar PSG extension more likely than Madrid switch: Father Description: The striker made his name at Santos before signing for Barcelona in 2013, before the Parisians paid out his release clause of 222 million euros ($251 million) in 2017.
Neymar PSG extension more likely than Madrid switch - father
Liverpool defender Joel Matip will be out of action for up to six weeks after suffering a fractured collarbone. Liverpool title bid hit by Matip injury | Sport24
Liverpool title bid hit by Matip injury - thesundaily.my
MILAN, May 26 (Reuters) - Former European Cup winners AC Milan endured a bittersweet 3-2 win at SPAL in the last round of the Serie A, finishing the campaign outside the top four after their
Soccer-AC Milan miss out on top-four finish despite SPAL win
LONDON, (Reuters) - Chelsea suffered a setback in their push for a Champions League spot when they were held to a 2-2 draw at home to Burnley in the Premier League yesterday and tempers flared
Chelsea draw 2-2 with Burnley, denting Champions League hopes
Find Live Cricket Scores, Match updates, Fixtures, Results, News, Articles, Video highlights only at ESPNcricinfo. Read Ball by Ball Commentary, Series schedule of all ICC International & Domestic
Boy catches angry 10ft snake with bare hands in Indonesia
Jun 06, 2010 · Under-10 players at work at the Ajax academy in Amsterdam. Credit Joachim Ladefoged/VII, for The New York Times . The youth academy of the famed dutch soccer club Ajax is grandiosely called De
Ali on target as Qatar stun Japan to win first Asian Cup - Daily Times Almoez Ali scored with a spectacular overhead kick for a record ninth goal of the Asian Cup to set Qatar on their way to a first continental title with a stunning 3- 1 win over four-times champions Japan on Friday.
Ali on target as Qatar stun Japan to win first Asian Cup
Football pundit Paul Merson has expressed fears that Man United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer might be having his last game as the Red Devils boss this weekend. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer only took over as Man United boss in December last year after former manager Jose Mourinho was sacked and he started on a high note […]
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's toughest test as Manchester United
Tsukasa Shiotani's sizzling winner kept Japan on top of their Asian Cup group on Thursday, while Oman scrambled into the knockouts in a pulsating finish to the tournament's first stage. In Abu Dhabi, Almoez Ali took his tally to seven goals in just three games as Qatar beat political rivals Saudi
2019 Asian Cup: Tsukasa Shiotani fires Japan past Uzbeks
Chelsea boss Sarri baffled by 6-0 humbling at Man City February 10, 2019 Chika Emeche NEWS , SPORT , WORLD 0 Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri said he could not understand what happened after Manchester City crushed his side 6-0 on Sunday — their biggest ever defeat in the Premier League.
Chelsea boss Sarri baffled by 6-0 humbling at Man City | AFP.com
Football: Qatar players cleared in eligibility row just
0 comments:
Post a Comment