Messi fires Barca past Milan into semifinals

Lionel Messi scored twice from the penalty spot to help put holders Barcelona into the Champions League semifinals after a thrilling 3-1 victory over AC Milan at the Nou Camp on Tuesday. Messi's 13th goal sets Champions League scoring record

Updated on: Apr 4, 2012, 02:28:32 IST

Reuters | By HT Correspondent, Barcelona

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

Lionel Messi scored twice from the penalty spot to help put holders Barcelona into the Champions League semifinals after a thrilling 3-1 victory over AC Milan at the Nou Camp on Tuesday.

The World Player of the Year put Barca ahead with his first penalty after only 11 minutes, setting the competition scoring record for a season with his 13th goal of the campaign.

Antonio Nocerino pulled one back for Milan, who had held Barcelona to a 0-0 draw in last week's first leg, but Messi restored the lead again from the spot just before the end of a breathless first half.

The majestic Argentine helped set up the third goal for Andres Iniesta after the restart and Barca closed the game down from then on to become only the second team to reach five consecutive Champions League semifinals.

Stay updated with the latest scores, results, and headlines from us sports, wwe, football, tennis, hockey, and other sports. Follow live action, big tournaments, and top players across all major leagues on sports by Hindustan Times.