Barcelona vs. AC Milan: Best and Worst Performers in Champions League Clash

Drought? What drought? After four consecutive games without a goal, Lionel Messi rattled the net twice at Camp Nou, as Barcelona put two feet firmly in the knockout stages with a victory over AC Milan.

The two sides went toe-to-toe in the Group H clash, but it was Barca's superiority in the attacking third of the pitch that decided the outcome.

There were standout performances throughout the pitch for the Catalan side, but Milan boss Massimiliano Allegri will take some positives from the contest, too.

Here's a look at the players who stood out amongst the 22 buzzing dots on the pitch and those who would rather forget the whole experience.

Best Performers

Sergio Busquets

If Barcelona resemble a wound-up toy that just keeps going, then Busquets is the battery that makes the whole operation tick.

It's hard to believe the Spanish midfielder is still only 25, but he put in another performance beyond his years in the victory over AC Milan.

Busquets did what he does best on Wednesday night. Positioned in front of the back four, he put in an industrial-like shift, breaking down opposition attacks and starting them for Barca. He even got on the score sheet for the second time this season.

He connected with 97 percent of passes, and his WhoScored.com rating finished at 8.18, second best behind Messi.

Lionel Messi

The Argentine forward came to life in the second half and started to move around the Camp Nou like the Messi of seasons gone by.

After slotting home a penalty in the first half, Messi snatched a second in the 83rd minute after a give-and-go with Cesc Fabregas that was textbook Barca.

Blaugrana's main man admitted after the win that he is starting to "get his rhythm back"—per Stefan Coerts of Goal.com—and that will be a worry for clubs around Spain and Europe.

A day after Cristiano Ronaldo broke his record for the most Champions League goals in a calendar year, Messi had his eyes on another landmark. The Argentine is now just six goals shy of equaling Raul's total tally of 71 in the competition, according to Pete Jenson of the Daily Mail.

Nigel de Jong

Despite Barca putting three past Milan, it was de Jong’s performance that prevented the home side from scoring more.

The Dutch midfielder has courted controversy throughout his career for his combative ways, but his controlled performance on Wednesday night showed what he is capable of when he channels his aggression in the right manner.

De Jong, who was positioned in front of the back four, stifled much of Barcelona's attacking threat through the centre, which is no mean feat.

Unfortunately for him, Barcelona had an alternative avenue to exploit down the left, where Neymar put in another excellent shift for his team.

Worst Performers

Ignazio Abate

Abate was not the first and certainly won't be the last right-back to be turned inside out by Neymar.

The Brazilian's performance was crucial to Barca's success. His effective running down the left spread the play, opening up space for the likes of Messi and Fabregas—when he came on—to run into.

Abate cut a lonely figure and was left hapless at times. On the right wing, Andrea Poli offered little support, and Abate struggled to contain the threat of Neymar throughout.

The Italian eventually succumbed to the Brazilian when he conceded the penalty—albeit a controversial one—that led to Barca's opening goal.

Robinho

The former Real Madrid man was a surprise inclusion in the Milan starting XI. Allegri gave him the nod ahead of Mario Balotelli, who has struggled for form as of late, but the Brazilian failed to repay the faith shown in him.

Robinho was a mere passenger during the opening 45 minutes. He failed to get a shot away in the first half, and he turned the ball over three times, per WhoScored.com.

His lacklustre performance saw him hooked off at half-time, making way for Balotelli.

The Italian's showing in the second half proved what many people felt—that he should have been on the pitch from the start.