Thursday, 18th March 2010

Stuttgart held hopes to reach the Champions League quarterfinals after holding Barcelona to a 1-1 draw in the first-leg. But all ambitions quickly faded after Lionel Messi put the home side in front less than 15 minutes into the match. The Argentinean was in sparkling form on the night, scoring a brace and setting up another to remind everybody just why he is the best player in the world.

“Our chances [to progress] were always limited. They started coming at us so quickly and we tried our best to stay with the pace,” Stuttgart coach Christian Gross said on UEFA.com before heaping praise on the remarkable Argentinean. “[Messi] is the best player in the world; he’s a fantastic talent and it’s incredible to think he’s only 22. It’s fair to compare him to Maradona.”

With his latest masterful performance, Messi has amassed a whopping 31 goals and ten assists in just 37 appearances for his club this season.

 

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