'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Barcelona finally had sweet revenge over Chelsea following a 3-0 win over the Blues in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
A double from Lionel Messi and another from Ousmane Dembele were enough to see the Catalan giants dump the English side out of Europe. The first-leg ended in a 1-1 draw, but Barcelona proved to be more purposeful in the return leg by sparking into gear immediately after the blast of the referee’s whistle.
It took just three minutes for Ernesto Valverde’s side to open the scoring, with Lionel Messi sliding the ball underneath the onrushing Thibaut Courtois despite finding himself in a very tight angle. The Argentine then turned provider to set up Dembele for Barcelona’s second goal.
Chelsea’s hopes of any comeback were put beyond reach when the five-time Ballon d’Or winner added his second on the night and Barca’s third overall with another tight finish in the second half. The Blues tried to hold their own, but the closest they came to the Barcelona goal was hitting the post twice.
Below are five key stats from Barcelona’s 3-0 win over Antonio Conte’s men.
#5 Messi extends goal record against English sides
Lionel Messi had never scored against Chelsea before the Blues’ Champions League last 16 clashes with Barcelona. However, the Argentine managed to not only to break the duck, but go further to score thrice against the Blues over two legs.
Messi scored Barcelona’s equalizer in the 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge and added two more as the Catalan giants beat the Blues 3-0 at Camp Nou.
His double on Wednesday night means the 30-year-old has now scored 20 goals against English opposition in the Champions League – the most by any in the competition. The Argentine has scored nine of those goals against Arsenal, six against Manchester City and three against Chelsea.
Also, he has netted twice against Manchester United – in the 2009 and 2011 Champions League finals, both which Barca emerged winners.
#4 Barcelona reach record 11th consecutive quarter-final
Barcelona’s 4-1 aggregate win over Chelsea ensured that the Spanish giants have now made 11 consecutive quarter-final appearances in the Champions League.
Barca are one of the most consistent sides in the competition and have closely challenged since winning the trophy back in 2006. The last time the club actually exited the Champions League before the quarter-final stage was in the 2006-07 season when they were knocked out by Liverpool.
The Reds edged Barcelona following a 2-2 aggregate scoreline, but the Spanish side has since not exited the Champions League at any stage lesser than the quarter-final.
The club’s 11 consecutive appearances in the last eight is actually the longest run ever by any club in Europe’s elite competition.
#3 Messi reaches 100 Champions League goals
Lionel Messi became just the second player in the history of the Champions League to reach the 100 goal mark.
The Argentine was on 98 goals before Wednesday’s game against Chelsea, but took his tally to a century after netting twice against the Blues. Messi now joins eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo as the only two players to have scored 100 plus goals in the Champions League.
Real Madrid star Ronaldo took 137 games to score his 100 goals, but Messi needed 14 games fewer to reach the same mark.
Messi netted his first Champions League goal in 2006 and has gone on to become one of the greatest scorers in the history of the competition. The 30-year-old, however, still trails Ronaldo on the all-time top scorers' list, with the Portuguese currently on 117 goals.
#2 Barcelona continue their dominance over English sides
Barcelona have proven to be a thorn in the flesh of many English sides, with Chelsea becoming their latest victims.
The Spanish giants beat the Blues 4-1 on aggregate to progress to the last eight of this year’s Champions League. However, the victory was all too familiar as the Catalan club has almost always had it easy when paired against English opposition.
Out of Barca’s many meetings with English clubs in the Champions League, the Cam Nou outfit has managed to emerge victors on 23 occasions.
It is a record that makes Barcelona the team with most wins over English opposition in the history of the Champions League.
#1 Messi nets fastest goal in his career
Lionel Messi netted twice on Wednesday night as Barcelona run out comfortable 3-0 winners over Chelsea.
However, the Argentine’s first goal was actually the fastest he has scored in his career since debuting in the Champions League. Messi played a quick one-two with Luis Suarez before sliding the ball past Thibaut Courtois to hand Barca an early lead.
The goal came just 128 seconds into the game, representing the quickest Messi has scored in the competition.
The 30-year-old later set up Barca’s second’s goal, before personally adding the third goal to kill off the tie.
