Sanchez and Messi put Barca in command

Barcelona put one foot in the quarter-finals of the Champions League with victory over a Leverkusen side who might wonder what might have been had they attacked from the start last night.

After the German hosts sat deep to frustrate Barca in the first half, Alexis Sanchez’s first Champions League goal, scored in the 41st minute, separated the teams at the break.

But Leverkusen came out with a much more positive outlook after the break, levelling through Michal Kadlec and then having several chances before Sanchez’s second and a late Lionel Messi strike gave Barca victory.