Lionel Messi Must Shine Brighter Than Ever if Barcelona are To Progress

Barcelona have the most talented players in the European game, they play the most attractive football, and on Wednesday night they will be being cheered on by almost 100,000 home fans.

The odds should be stacked in their favor against an Inter Milan team who, in comparison to Barcelona, appear more functional than fluent.

However, despite all this Barcelona will not be favorites to progress after a 3-1 defeat at the San Siro, which should be sufficient to see their opponents through.

Barcelona, who pride themselves on playing a certain style of football, will be as affronted by the manner of Inter's victory as they are the margin.

Inter did not sit back, soak up pressure, and then hit Barcelona on the counter attack for an undeserved smash and grab victory. They outclassed and outperformed the Spanish team and did not resort to defensive tactics until they were two goals up.

Wesley Sneider, the Dutch winger who was deemed not galactico enough for Real Madrid, caused carnage in the Barcelona back line. Lionel Messi, by his own imperious standards, had a comparatively quiet game and was undeniably outshone by Sneider.

Barcelona's opening goal was completely against the run of play and the three goals which Inter subsequently scored were ample reward for the sheer quantity of chances they created.

Barcelona will have to put in an epic performance if they are to overcome this deficit. Lionel Messi singlehandedly destroyed Arsenal in the return leg of the previous round and he will need to put Inter to the sword in much the same way.

He will be up against an Inter defence containing the huge Lucio, Walter Samuel, Javier Zanetti, and Maicon, as well as arguably the best goalkeeper in the world in Julio Cesar. Players of this calibre will not capitulate as easily as Arsenal's permeable defence did.

To be the best in the world you have to perform against the best in the world. Messi already has 40 goals this season, an incredible total for a player who is not naturally a striker. A goal, or preferably two, against Inter would carry more currency than any he has scored in his career in the pound-for-pound player debate.

Messi has already established himself as the best player in the world today. If he can put in a match-winning performance and secure his side's progression to the final at the expense of Inter, then it is time to start measuring him against the best players from previous generations. Names like Diego Maradona, Zinedine Zidane, and even George Best.

Matches like this are what the Champions League is all about. The champions of Spain against the champions of Italy in a winner-takes-all semifinal tie. Barcelona have been handicapped but they were already a better team and the two goal deficit makes it an even more intriguing tie.

For Lionel Messi the stage is set. He will be leading the greatest attack in European football against the greatest defence in European football knowing that nothing short of a spectacular performance will suffice.

In circumstances such as this mere men can become footballing legends. Lionel Messi will be looking to live up to these lofty expectations at the Nou Camp this week. He has already set superhuman standards this season—if Barcelona are to reach a second successive Champions League final he will need to surpass them.