Lionel Messi Strikes Against Arsenal Bring Barcelona's European Dream Closer

EMIRATES STADIUM, London — How can one millisecond feel like an age? Anybody who watches Barcelona regularly knows the answer: When Lionel Messi is involved.

The millisecond of interest came in the 71st minute of Barcelona’s 2-0 Champions League last-16 win over Arsenal in north London on Tuesday, a result that makes it very difficult to foresee the Premier League side progressing.

Arsenal’s own manager only gives his “naive” side a 5 per cent chance of qualification to the quarter-finals, as he explained in his post-match press conference. Even that seems optimistic considering Barcelona have now gone 33 games unbeaten.

Arsene Wenger’s poison was administered by Messi with a little help from his close friends, Neymar and Luis Suarez, as Barcelona’s stars bid for an unprecedented consecutive Champions League title.

Paul Gilham/Getty Images

A brutal breakaway, started by Gerard Pique’s headed clearance and continued by Andres Iniesta’s hooked flick-on to Neymar, ended up in the goal that broke the deadlock.

The danger was apparent when Neymar got the ball under control and fired it forward for Suarez, with Per Mertesacker lunging in to intercept, missing it and essentially being wiped out of the whole move from that moment forth.

Suarez let it drift towards the touchline before playing a pass with his left foot, back into Neymar’s path.

Running at speed, the Brazilian took the ball into the area before cutting it back cutely for Messi to receive 15 yards out. With Arsenal’s defenders sucked in toward Neymar, the Argentinian was in the clear.

As the ball arrived at his feet, Messi stuck one boot out and upward, sucking the speed out of the ball by controlling it with his studs. Petr Cech was fooled completely by the Barca star’s touch; most players would have shot first time.

Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

The Czech Republic goalkeeper stumbled, left helpless on the floor, watching on as Messi prepared to take his second, decisive touch.

In between Messi controlling the ball and firing it home, there seemed to be time to think about a lot of things.

Things such as wondering whether this was the moment he would finally beat Cech. This match was Messi’s seventh against the goalkeeper, who had denied him in the previous six occasions while playing for Chelsea.

There were doubts in minds around the Emirates. Despite Cech’s position on the floor and Messi’s in front of goal, the oddness of his touch tricked onlookers into thinking something had gone wrong, that the chance was about to be whisked away somehow.

Watching the goal again, knowing what is going to happen, this pause doesn't exist. It does, but it feels about as long as it is—and not like the vast stretch of time it seemed on Tuesday night.

The closest way to replicate it is a still frame, with this image shared by Sphera Sports capturing the moment perfectly.

Of course, the chance wasn’t lost, the touch was genius and removed Cech from the equation, and Messi fired home past the helpless goalkeeper, breaking the “curse” and ending 71 minutes of Arsenal resistance.

It was a rapier blade between Arsenal’s ribs, a strike delivered by the first of Barcelona's three musketeers, three amigos, trident, trio or whatever you want to call them.

The second goal was made and scored by Messi too. Darting toward a loose ball—after another Mertesacker mistake—substitute Mathieu Flamini lunged in and chopped him down, leaving the referee no choice but to award a penalty.

No messing around this time, no passing and no delegating it to another player. Messi took it, firing past Cech, who went the wrong way, effectively killing this tie.

Matt Dunham/Associated Press

Ask any Barcelona player, and they will tell you this is not over. But it is. That much was reflected when Gerard Pique picked up a booking that seemed deliberate, following a chat with Luis Enrique on the sideline. It means he is ruled out of the second leg and free to play in the quarter-finals with no threat of suspension looming over him.

Messi’s two strikes not only send Barcelona to the verge of the quarter-finals, but they also show this is a Barcelona who can win when not playing well. However, under Enrique, it seems sometimes the game plan is not to play "well" by the usual measures.

The coach was thrilled with his team’s showing, saying there was nothing he didn’t like and that every aspect of the play pleased him.

“Everyone who understands football knows we had to have a first half like that to be able to do the second,” he said, referring to tiring Arsenal out so Barcelona could take advantage in the second period.

This pragmatism, not always trying—or needing—to go full throttle, is as good a reason as any why Barcelona are capable of winning another Champions League title to go with last season’s.

They know that, with Messi and his fellow swordsmen riding into battle, if they can ride out sieges such as Arsenal’s pressure at times, they will always have a chance of punishing their opponents on the counter-attack. And retaining that shiny, big-eared trophy seems ever more achievable.

All quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise stated.