Barcelona's Lionel Messi sinks Liverpool – in pictures

Here are some of the best photographs involving the Argentine Superstar during the Catalans' victory over Liverpool

Barcelona's Argentine forward Lionel Messi was at his best against Liverpool in the first leg of their Uefa Champions League semi-final at Camp Nou on Wednesday night as the hosts took a 3-0 lead. Javier Soriano / AFP

Barcelona's Lionel Messi, right, plays the ball past Liverpool's Andy Robertson, second right, Jordan Henderson, second left, and Sadio Mane. Emilio Morenatti / AP Photo

Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring. Lluis Gene / AFP

Liverpool keeper Alisson kicks the ball in frustration after Lionel Messi's goal. Catherine Ivill / Getty Images

Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring his team's second goal. Catherine Ivill / Getty Images

Lionel Messi celebrates scoring their second goal with Sergi Roberto and other teammates. Albert Gea / Reuters

Lionel Messi celebrates with Luis Suarez. Catherine Ivill / Getty Images

Barcelona's Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring his side's second goal. Emilio Morenatti / AP Photo

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson fails to stop Barcelona's Lionel Messi's shot on goal, giving Barcelona a 3-0 lead. Manu Fernandez / AP Photo

Lionel Messi celebrates scoring their third goal. Joan Monfort / AP Photo

Barcelona players celebrate after Lionel Messi scored his side's third goal. Emilio Morenatti / AP Photo

Lionel Messi jubilant after scoring. Alberto Estevez / EPA

Barcelona's Lionel Messi is congratulated by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who called the Argentine 'unstoppable'. Manu Fernandez / AP Photo

Lionel Messi reacts after the end of the first leg. Manu Fernandez / AP Photo

Lionel Messi and his teammates celebrate at the end of the game. Lluis Gene / AFP

Barcelona beat Liverpool 3-0 in the Uefa Champions League semi-final first leg on Wednesday.

Here are some of the best images involving Lionel Messi, who scored two of those goals. After three successive quarter-final defeats, the Argentine seemed to be on a mission to lead the Catalans to their first Champions League final appearance since they last won the tournament in 2015.

Messi, Barca's incomparable striker, made a promise last September to "bring that beautiful trophy" back to the Camp Nou and his late double – which took him to an incredible 600 career goals for the club – was a huge step towards achieving that dream.

The Argentine had failed to score in his two previous appearances against Liverpool and for long periods he was held in check by Reds centre-back Virgil van Dijk and his fellow defenders.

But Messi is too talented to be subdued for long and he finally escaped Van Dijk's clutches to score from close-range after Suarez's effort hit the bar in the 75th minute.

Messi was just getting warmed up and in the 82nd minute he left Liverpool stunned when he curled a superb 25-yard free-kick into the top corner.

It was another frustrating evening in the Camp Nou for Van Dijk, who was given a rough ride on his last visit in 2013 as a 22-year-old Celtic defender in a 6-1 defeat.

The Dutch international has improved dramatically since that night and arrived back in Spain as the newly crowned PFA Player of the Year, but even he was no match for the peerless Messi in the end.