Barcelona vs Stuttgart 4 - 0 Result Aggregate Score 5-1 Goals Champions League 17/03/2010

Barcelona finishes of VfB Stuttgart with dominating performance

Barcelona vs Stuttgart 4 - 0 Result Aggregate Score 5-1 Goals Champions League 17/03/2010

Barcelona finishes of VfB Stuttgart with dominating performance - Any hopes German VfB Stuttgart may have had to pull a stunt in Camp Nou were shattered within 23 minutes of play. In the 14th minute Leo Messi dribbled his way through the German defense and left Jens Lehmann without a chance with a shot from the 16 yard line. In the 23rd minute Pedro, surprisingly substituting Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the starting line-up, doubled the score after an attack through the middle. With a ball possession of well over 60% for Barcelona it was clear that the German underdogs were going to have a rough night and they effectively did not create a single scoring opportunity the first half.

The second half started with Barcelona leaning back slightly, in the knowledge Stuttgart had to take the initiative. The Germans mounted a minor offensive, without ever getting close to Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdez. In the 59th minute Messi ended all hopes for the current German number nine by scoring with a shot from twenty yards. Stuttgart surrendered and limited itself the rest of the match to avoid a defeat by a truly humiliating margin and possible psychologically damaging consequences. Barcelona created several chances, substituted injured midfielder Sergi Busquets with striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but it took until the 89th minute for substitute Bojan Krkic, barely one minute on the pitch, to score the 4th and last goal of the evening and what might in retrospect be called a walkover for Barcelona after a difficult first half in Stuttgart, where the Catalans played their worst half match of the season.

With his two goals in yet another stellar performance Leo Messi is now only one goal away from Rivaldo´s record 22 Champions League goals for Barcelona. No one doubts the Argentinian world player of the year will break that record this year. Who the possible victim(s) will be, will be known on Friday, when the quarter- and semi-final draw will be made.

Line-ups:

Barcelona: Valdes; Dani Alves, Puyol, Pique, Maxwell; Busquets (Ibrahimovic), Toure, Iniesta (Bojan); Messi, Pedro, Henry (Milito)

VfB Stuttgart: Lehmann; Celozzi (Gebhart), Niedermeier, Delpierre; Molinaro, Kuzmanovic, Khedira, Trasch, Hleb; Pogrebnyak (Marica), Cacau

Teams placed for the quarterfinals: Barcelona, Girondins Bordeaux, Olympique Lyon, Manchester United, CSKA Moscow, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, Arsenal.







Onno van Keulen
Barcelona Reporter.com



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