MADRID, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Sometimes there is nothing more you can do other than accept the inevitable and Chelsea coach Antonio Conte did just that when he hugged Lionel Messi at the end of his side's 3-0 defeat to Barca in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
"Players like Messi come along once every 50 years," Conte said after the game.
With Chelsea looking to keep things tight at the start of the game, Messi opened the scoring in just the second minute, exchanging passes with Luis Suarez and then firing home from an acute angle.
The opening goal still meant a Chelsea goal would mean extra-time and the Premier League champions responded by taking the game to Barca and forcing their goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen into action.
Just as their pressure looked as if it would tell, Messi was on hand again to guide a counter-attack before setting Ousmane Dembele up for Barca's second of the night.
That goal changed the complexion of the tie, with Chelsea now needing to score twice to go through.
Barca were again on the back foot when Messi netted his second of the night, taking the ball outside of the Chelsea penalty area before finding a kick of speed to carry him past three defenders in an instant before scoring with a left footed shot.
Brilliance and game over.
Barca's win was about more than just Messi. Credit must go to Barca coach Ernesto Valverde, who took a risk by starting with Andres Iniesta in his side, just 10 days after he suffered a hamstring injury.
Iniesta's talent on the ball was a problem for Chelsea in the first half and with the score 2-0, Valverde took him off 10 minutes after the break for the more rugged Paulinho. Valverde got his substitutions spot on the night.
There was applause too for giving minutes to Andre Gomes just two days after the publication of an interview in which the Portuguese player revealed his problems with self-confidence since joining Barca.
Credit to the fans who gave Gomes an ovation, perhaps his rehabilitation as a player began on Wednesday night, although the headlines are reserved for just one man on Thursday and that of course is Messi.
