Messi Adds to Accolades

Before today no one had ever scored 5 goals in a UEFA Champions League Match. 4 goals? Sure. Lots of players, including one Lionel Messi, have done that with Messi accomplishing the feat against Arsenal back in 2010. Today Messi set the bar a little bit higher scoring FIVE TIMES against Bayer Leverkusen as Barcelona routed their German opponents 7-1 with Leverkusen's only goal coming in the 90th minute.

Photo Credit: thestar.com

"Without Messi, Barca is the best team," Leverkusen coach Robin Dutt said. "And with him, they are in another galaxy."

The three-time FIFA player of the year scored in the 25th, 42nd, 49th, 58th and 84th minutes for the first five-goal game of his professional career. It marked the 17th time in his 8 seasons with the Spanish powerhouse that Messi has scored at least 3 goals in a game and he has now scored an astonishing 48 goals in 42 games for Barcelona this season. Messi's recent run of success hasn't been limited to just playing with Barcelona either as he tallied his first hat trick for Argentina last week in a 3-1 win over Switzerland.

Barcelona is among 4 teams to have already clinched a spot in the Champions League quarterfinals joining AC Milan (Italy), Benfica (Portugal) and APOEL Nicosia (Cyprus).