Image by Getty Images via @daylifeBARCELONA (Reuters) - Lionel Messi at his breathtaking best tore Bayer Leverkusen apart with a record five-goal Champions League haul on Wednesday as Barcelona swept into the quarter-finals 7-1 on the night and 10-2 on aggregate.
The Argentine World Player of the Year became the first player to score five in a Champions League match. Substitute Cristian Tello scored twice as the holders equalled the biggest victory margin in the knockout stages of the competition.
Messi, who did not appear to have a bead of sweat on him after the match at the Nou Camp, took his tally to 12 goals in seven Champions League appearances this term, equalling the record for a single season he shares with former Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy.
All five strikes against a hapless Leverkusen, including brilliant dinked efforts with either foot, showcased the stunning skills honed in Barca's youth academy that have won him the World Player award for the past three years.
"The important thing is what the team did and that we qualified for the next round," a typically modest Messi said in a television interview.
"It's nice to score five but winning was the priority," added the 24-year-old, clutching the match ball and smiling shyly. READ ON....
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