Messi celebrates one of his four goals in the 2010 UCL quarterfinal against Arsenal.
Messi celebrates one of his four goals in the 2010 UCL quarterfinal against Arsenal. Reuters

Before the latest edition of the fixture, here's a look back at last year's tie in which Barcelona hammered Arsenal 4-1, thanks to a brilliant performance from Lionel Messi, to qualify for the semis.

On that ocassion, the first-leg at the Emirates had ended in a 2-2 draw, giving Barcelona the edge with two away goals. Things looked good for Arsenal as they scored early in the second-leg when Bendtner finished off an Arsenal counter to give the visitors a 1-0 lead at the Nou Camp.

That was about as good as it got for Arsenal though. From thereon, Lionel Messi sparked into probably one of his best performances on a football pitch. He led the Barca attack and scored four fine goals to hand Arsenal a defeat they won't forget too easily. Below lies the link to the highlights of that encounter, an appetizer for today's classic encounter between the same two sides. Will this pan out as a classic?

Lionel Messi Soccer Vs