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Home  » Sports » Messi inspires Barca to thrilling victory over Milan

Messi inspires Barca to thrilling victory over Milan

Last updated on: March 13, 2013 09:24 IST
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Barcelona pulled off a remarkable Champions League comeback when Lionel Messi scored twice in a thrilling 4-0 victory at home to AC Milan on Tuesday that sent the Spanish club through to the last eight 4-2 on aggregate.

Trailing from last month's last 16, first leg at the San Siro, Barca were ahead in the fifth minute at a raucous Nou Camp thanks to Messi's brilliant curling effort and the World Player of the Year levelled the tie on aggregate five minutes before halftime with a powerful low drive.

Lionel MessiBarcelona ruthlessly dominated their Italian visitors, who struggled to get the ball out of their own half for long periods, and David Villa struck a third for the hosts 10 minutes after the break before Jordi Alba killed off Milan with a breakaway goal in the second minute of added time.

Barca are the first team in the Champions League to ever overturn a two-goal first leg deficit without the benefit of an away goal while only four sides had successfully fought back from a deficit of more than one goal.

 Hamit Altintop scored a stunning 30-metre goal to set Galatasaray on the way to a 3-2 win at Schalke 04 which sent them into the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday.

Stunning Altintop goal helps Galatasaray through

The Turkish side went through 4-3 on aggregate after handing Schalke their first defeat of the competition.

Roman Neustaedter gave Schalke an early lead but Altintop pulled the Turkish side level in the 37th minute when he collected a free kick and scored with a shot which swerved away from Timo Hildebrand and went in off the foot of the post.

Burak Yilmaz stunned the hosts by putting Galatasaray ahead with a breakaway goal five minutes later, his eighth of the competition.

Michel Bastos levelled for Schalke 04 just after the hour but the Germans could not find the winner despite dominating the closing stages, with Umut Bulut snatching a win for Galatasaray in injury time.

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