Lionel Messi's first half finish ensured that Barcelona got a rare win in Eastern Europe, but did little to alter the balance of the match. With the visitors already leading 5-1 following a match at the Camp Nou that can only be described as a thrashing, both sides new there was nothing to play for, and it showed. Shakhar Donetsk can be proud of their efforts and especially proud of the way they tried to take the game to their illustrious opponents, but they didn't defend nearly well enough over the two legs to make this anything like a contest, and losing their fullbacks in the second match was about as helpful as electrocuting yourself with a metal parrot.
Shakhtar Donetsk Vs. FC Barcelona, 2011 UEFA Champions League: 1-0 Barcelona Win More Than Enough To See Them Through
With nothing much to play for, the match was exactly that. Messi is always worth watching, of course, and he was classy throughout after being a little subdued in the first leg. His skill in beating two defenders to put the ball past Andriy Pyatov was brilliant, and he really was sensational for most of the match. But realistically, it was a thoroughly pointless exercise. It didn’t matter what the score was because it wasn’t going to be a four-goal loss for Barcelona, and 1-0 in this match meant nothing at all.
But next it's Real Madrid in the semi-finals. Now that should be a match.
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