5 greatest Lionel Messi performances in the UEFA Champions League

#3 Real Madrid 0-2 Barcelona, 2011 Semi-finals

Real Madrid v Barcelona - UEFA Champions League Semi-Final

A list of greatest Messi performances in the UEFA Champions League cannot be complete without a mention of El Clasico. In the 2010-11 season, the two Spanish sides set up a fantastic semi-final clash and the world waited in anticipation for sparks to fly. And football fans were not disappointed.

The first leg was scheduled at the Santiago Bernabeu and it was marked by a bad-tempered first half, with the visitors only getting a few chances at goal. Messi was in the thick of things but stayed in the fringes of the Real Madrid defense, as the home team resorted to defensive tactics to frustrate the Catalans. Things got out of hands in the second half, as Pepe picked up a red card for a tackle on Dani Alves.

Jose Mourinho, the Real Madrid manager, also got his marching order for dissent and Los Blancos were suddenly at the point of breaking down. Messi saw this as an opportunity to pounce and stepped up to make the home side pay.

First, the Argentine got ahead of Sergio Ramos to turn in Ibrahim Afellay’s cross. It gave Barcelona a deserved lead as well as an away goal advantage. But Messi was just warming up and had saved the best for the last. In the dying minutes of the game, the Argentina international served up one of the best goals in the history of the Champions League.

Messi picked up the ball in the Real Madrid half and embarked on a 30-yard joyride, skipping past the opposition as if they were non-existent. It ended in his 11th goal in 11 games in the tournament and also capped one of his greatest performances in the Champions League