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What's the story?
Statistic reveals why Manchester United have hope against Lionel Messi and Barcelona in the Champions League.
The Catalan giants are one of the favorites to lift the title but United have pulled some upsets in the competition this year and cannot be written off just yet.
In case you didn't know...
Lionel Messi is currently enjoying one of the best seasons in his glittering career so far. The Argentine genius seems unstoppable right now and continues to dominate Europe and Spain in an unprecedented manner.
The 31-year-old has scored 43 goals in all competitions, from which 33 of them came in the La Liga and 8 of them in the Champions League - making him the leading scorer in both of these competitions. Messi is also one of the leading assist providers with 21 assists in all competition this season.
It goes without saying that Messi is proving almost every week why he is still football's finest. The Catalan giants are undisputed in the Spanish top flight as they sit atop the La Liga table with an 11-point lead over second-placed Atletico Madrid.
On the other hand, Ole Gunner Solskjaer has been a breath of fresh air since his arrival in December. Under Solskjaer's guidance, United managed to knock Paris Saint-Germain out in a sensational manner after losing 2-0 in the first leg at Old Trafford. The Red Devils also managed to defeat Juventus in the group stage under former boss Jose Mourinho.
Despite all the good work, Solskjaer will face an uphill and the fact that United have lost three of their last four games will be a huge concern.
The heart of the matter
Manchester Evening News revealed a statistic which is in favor of Manchester United and Solskjaer ahead of their crucial clash against Barcelona. Messi played a crucial role for Barcelona when they defeated the Red Devils in two Champions League finals in 2009 and 2011.
But according to the report, the five time Ballon d'Or winner has failed to score in his last 11 Champions League quarterfinal appearances, with his last goal coming against PSG back in 2013. The Barcelona captain had 49 shots on target but failed to convert any in the quarterfinal stages in the past few seasons.
What's next?
Manchester United will host Barcelona on Wednesday night as they aim to progress to the next round in the Champions League.
