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What's the story?
FC Barcelona defeated Manchester United 1-0 at Old Trafford in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League.
Despite having a significant contribution in that only goal, Lionel Messi looked below his sky-high standards and extended his poor goalscoring run of not scoring in the last twelve quarter-finals he featured.
In case you didn't know...
Leo Messi is the all-time greatest goalscorer against English teams in the Champions League and played a pivotal role for the side which defeated United in 2009 and 2011.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is enjoying another historic campaign, as he is leading the race for European Golden Shoe with 33 goals the league already. The 31-year-old Argentine has racked up 43 goals in all competitions - 8 of them coming in the Champions League and also one of the leading players in assist charts this season.
It goes without saying that Messi is depicting almost every week why he is head and shoulders above his competitors. The Catalan giants are undisputed in the Spanish top flight as they sit atop the LaLiga table with an 11-point lead over second-placed Atletico Madrid.
The heart of the matter
But Messi, one of the greatest players ever, had not scored in the Champions League quarter-final stage since he scored against Paris Saint-Germain in 2013. Messi has taken 50 shots in the twelve Champions League appearances but failed to convert one of them into a goal.
It was crystal clear that Barcelona did not need Messi's efficiency in front of goal, however, as they won for the first time ever due to an own goal.
There is no doubt over the fact that Messi is pivotal to the Blaugrana's Champions League dream and it is a concern for Ernesto Valverde as they have failed to progress into the Semifinals in the past few seasons.
What's next?
Leo Messi will once again get the chance to score in the quarter-final against Manchester United when they host United at the Camp Nou for the second leg.
