Why Lionel Messi Is Barcelona's Most Important Player in the Champions League

Lionel Messi is synonymous with Barcelona's assault on the Champions League each and every season, and it's churlish to look past him as Barca's main man in the competition again this time round.

With 67 goals so far per UEFA.com, tied for second all-time with Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi remains just four behind the all-time record set by Raul whilst at Real Madrid and Schalke.

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Opta: “Only Lionel Messi (0.78) has a higher goals per game ratio (10+ goals) in the @ChampionsLeague than @RvN1776 (0.77). Legend.”

— Quotes on Messi (@MessiQuote) August 28, 2014"

The leading scorer in the competition in 2008/09, 2009/10, 2010/11 and 2011/12, Messi is the first and only player to top the scoring in four consecutive Champions League campaigns.

He also holds the record for the most hat-tricks scored in the competition (four), and in March 2012, Messi made more Champions League history by becoming the first player to score five goals in one match, doing so against Bayer Leverkusen (per BBC Sport).

He also matched Jose Altafini's record of 14 goals in a single campaign, which has since been overtaken by Ronaldo's monumental 17 from the 2013/14 La Decima-winning season.

With three Champions League triumphs already to his name and a goal in both finals against Manchester United in 2009 and 2011, when Messi plays well in the competition, success follows for the Blaugrana.

One of this year's group-stage opponents, Paris Saint-Germain, know all about Barca's talisman and the qualities he brings to the party.

Back in 2012, the Catalans were on their way out of the competition at the quarter-final stage, Javier Pastore's 50th-minute goal giving the French side the lead in the second leg of the tie.

Cue a clearly injured Messi to enter the fray on 62 minutes and galvanise the entire stadium. Henry Winter of the The Telegraph describes the Argentine's impact perfectly:

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Half an hour earlier, Messi had risen from the bench, relaxed his team, inspired them and helped create Barcelona’s equaliser. Make no mistake: Messi rescued Barcelona last night. On one leg.

[...] Messi was far from fully fit, and he must have been wary of whether his hamstring might give way to sudden exertion, but he was there when his team needed him. And they really needed him. 

[...] The moment he began warming up after Pastore’s 50th-minute goal, slipping on his shin-pads, hope entered the the Nou Camp. The moment he then took off his tracksuit top and stepped towards the touchline, belief spread across the terraces and into the Barcelona players.

He arrived in the 62nd minute, and immediately Barcelona played with greater tempo. He made his most telling contribution within nine minutes, involving six touches of that special left foot.

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First up this season are Cypriot champions APOEL FC Nicosia, a team that Barcelona have never faced in European competition. Per FCBarcelona.com, goalkeeper Urko Pardo will know all about the threat that Messi presents, having played alongside him and captain Andres Iniesta in the youth sides at La Masia.

It would be a tall order for the Cypriots to expect a result at any stage, but with Messi starting this season in a businesslike fashion, the signs are ominous.

Three goals and two assists in La Liga already per WhoScored is evidence of a player bang in form.

Unlike last season, when Messi at various points failed to fully involve himself, detailed here by Tom Conn of Inside Spanish Football, the Argentine captain has already hit the ground running.

Final group opponents Ajax should be running scared too. Per Graham Hunter of UEFA.com, Frank de Boer's side will remember Messi's masterclass from Matchday 1 last season only too well. 

Another Champions League hat-trick for Messi was a just reward for his complete performance.

Simply put, when he's on form, there is no one in European football to touch Lionel Messi.