Soccer – Champions League:Lionel Messi scored two goals and helped create another as holders Barcelona thumped VfB Stuttgart 4-0 to reach the Champions League quarter-finals 5-1 on aggregate tonight. Bordeaux also booked their place in the last eight with a win over Olympiakos.
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.
Bordeaux made things hard for themselves in a 2-1 home win against Olympiakos that gave them a 3-1 aggregate victory.
The French side had the game firmly in hand after Yoann Gourcuff scored a fifth-minute opener with a whipped free kick and Olympiakos striker Matt Derbyshire was sent off on the hour.
However, the Greek side, who lost 1-0 at home in the first leg, levelled in the 65th thanks to a stunning volley by substitute Kostas Mitroglou, three minutes before Bordeaux captain Alou Diarra was also sent off.
Morocco striker Marouane Chamakh put the tie to bed two minutes from time and Bordeaux joined Olympique Lyon in the last eight as two French teams qualified for the quarter-finals of the competition for the first time since 2004.
The draw for the quarter-finals and semi-finals will take place on Friday at 11am Irish time.
Teams qualified for the Champions League quarter-finals:
Arsenal
Barcelona
Bayern Munich
Bordeaux
CSKA Moscow
Inter Milan
Manchester United
Olympique Lyon
First legs to be played on March 30th-31st
Second legs to be played on April 6th-7th