Leo Messi is especially comfortable playing in the first knock-out round of the Champions League. The Argentinian has scored 16 goals in 17 matches in this round of the competition, an all-time record. He could add to that tally when FC Barcelona host Manchester City at the Camp Nou.
Barça’s No.10 has always scored in this round since the 2007/08 season, when he netted twice at Celtic Park. He also scored in the 2008/09 season, against Lyon; in the 2009/10 season, against Stuttgart (a brace in the second leg); in the 2010/11 season, against Arsenal (two goals in the second leg); in the 2011/12 season, against Leverkusen (a goal in first leg and five in the second leg), and last year, against AC Milan (a brace in the second leg).
It’s worth noting that Messi scored the go-ahead goal in the first leg against Manchester City at the Etihad.
12 goals in the second leg
Of Messi’s 16 goals in this round of the competition, 12 of them were scored at the Camp Nou. In fact, he’s always scored in the second leg at the Camp Nou since the 2008/09 season and his five-goal performance against Leverkusen in 2012 is especially notable.
