Barcelona vs Man Utd: Lionel Messi fires Spaniards into Champions League semi-finals

Relive all of the drama

Barcelona v Man Utd: Champions League match preview

Lionel Messi delivered another reminder of his enduring star quality as Barcelona quashed Manchester United's hopes of another improbable Champions League comeback at the Nou Camp.

United had overcome a two-goal deficit at Paris St Germain last month but Messi's first-half brace and a wonder strike from Philippe Coutinho ushered Barcelona towards a 3-0 victory, 4-0 on aggregate, at the ground of one of the Premier League side's greatest triumphs.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was insistent that the 1999 Champions League final win over Bayern Munich would have no bearing on this quarter-final second leg and his remarks proved accurate.

While his side made an energetic start, with Marcus Rashford denied by the goal frame within seconds of kick-off, Barcelona became more proactive and Messi, as he so often has done in the past, took top billing.

Relive all of the drama below.

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Key Points

• Barcelona XI: Ter Stegen; Sergi Roberto, Piqué, Lenglet, Alba; Rakitic, Busquets, Arthur; Messi, Suárez, Coutinho
• Manchester United XI: De Gea, Jones, Lindelof, Smalling, Young, Fred, McTominay, Pogba, Lingard, Martial, Rashford

[16 April 2019 19:42 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

On target.

[16 April 2019 19:50 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

Judging by his warmup, it's just another game of football for the man who makes the extraordinary ordinary and the remarkable routine. 

It was a quiet first leg by Lionel Messi's ridiculous standards, but I've a feeling he'll have a lead role this evening.

[16 April 2019 19:54 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

Manchester United will be looking pretty in pink tonight.

[16 April 2019 19:58 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

The players are in the tunnel, nervous energy coursing through their veins. 

Waving flags - blue red and yellow in Barcelona; black and white in Turin - welcome the teams on to the pitch. 

It's the Champions League!

[16 April 2019 20:00 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

As is traditional, the Barcelona fans drown out the Champions League anthem. Wonderfully petty.

[16 April 2019 20:01 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

Juventus vs Ajax has begun.

[16 April 2019 20:01 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

And Manchester United and Barcelona are underway at the Camp Nou.

[16 April 2019 20:03 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

Barcelona 0-0 Manchester United, 1 minute

A chance straightaway, and it goes Marcus Rashford's way!

Manchester United start well in possession and space opens for an outside-of-the-boot pass from Paul Pogba, arcing into Rashford's path as he moves beyond the defence.

His effort clips the top of the bar with Marc-Andre Ver Stegen content to let it go. Not far away. 

[16 April 2019 20:04 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

Barcelona 0-0 Manchester United, 2 minutes

By the way, Phil Jones is at centre back and Victor Lindelof, so impressive since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's arrival, on the right.

Make of that what you will.

[16 April 2019 20:05 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

Juventus 0-0 Ajax, 3 minutes

Juventus have made the brighter start in Turin, Cristiano Ronaldo on the ball early and feeding Mattia De Sciglio.

De Sciglio lines up a drive across goal, which is poor and strikes team-mate Federico Bernadeschi and rebounds away.