Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Messi sends Barcelona through to Champions League quarter-finals

Updated at 11:12 am on 18 March 2010

Striker Lionel Messi scored two goals and helped create another as holders Barcelona thumped VfB Stuttgart 4-nil this morning to reach the Champions League quarter-finals 5-1 on aggregate.

Fresh from a hat-trick in La Liga, the Argentina forward set Barca on their way in the 13th minute when he ran at the Stuttgart defence and crashed a left-foot shot into the roof of the net from just outside the penalty area.

A superbly weighted pass from the FIFA World Player of the Year sent Yaya Toure clear on the left nine minutes later and forward Pedro timed his run to perfection to sweep home the Ivory Coast midfielder's low cross.

Messi struck again with a low strike from the edge of the area on the hour to effectively kill off the tie and keep Spanish hopes alive after the elimination of La Liga sides Real Madrid and Sevilla.

Substitute Bojan Krkic added a late fourth just a minute after coming on to the pitch.

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