Messi double downs Spartak

Lionel Messi moved to within five goals
of Gerd Muller's scoring record as
Barcelona qualified for the knockout
stages of the UEFA Champions League
with a 3-0 victory over Spartak Moscow.
The Argentinian scored twice to go to
80 goals so far in 2012, just five behind
Muller's record number of goals
scored in a calendar year from 1972.
Dani Alves gave Barcelona the lead
before Messi's double strike with all
the goals coming before half-time.
It was tough on Spartak who showed
first but Kim Kallstrom fired over
before Pedro almost put the Catalan
side in front, but his instant shot was
superbly parried by goalkeeper Andrei
Dykan who showed his quick reactions
in the centre of the goal.
Barcelona went ahead in the 16th
minute through Alves when he struck a
half-volley cleanly past the goalkeeper
after the ball was laid off by Messi at
the edge of the area.
The visitors then wasted a great
chance to equalise when Emmanuel
Emenike's cross from the right found
Marek Suchy who had got ahead of his
marker but he did not even get a shot
on target from less than 12 yards,
instead ballooning the ball over.
They were left to rue that when shortly
after Barca took a two-goal lead.
Andres Iniesta's shot from a narrow
angle brought a parry from the
goalkeeper but Messi pounced on the
rebound and although he half
snatched at the shot the ball bounced
into the bottom right-hand corner.
Spartak were still creating chances,
Emenike firing over although he was at
full stretch.
Messi scored his second of the night
and Barca's third six minutes before
the break when he timed his run
perfectly and latched on to Pedro's
superbly weighted pass, got ahead of
the defence and rounded the keeper
before slotting the ball home.
Emenike shot over at the start of the
second half but Barca were weaving
the ball around. Yevgeni Makeev
completely miscontrolled the ball when
well-positioned and the game was
clearly beyond the hosts who had
failed to take any of their chances.
Dykan thwarted Messi and Pedro as the
game played itself out without further
score as Barca breezed through