“Alexis Sánchez scored twice as holders FC Barcelona took a giant step towards a place in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals with victory at Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Though they spent much of the opening period trying in vain to prise open their obdurate hosts, Josep Guardiola’s men went in at half-time ahead courtesy of Alexis Sánchez’s 41st-minute strike, his maiden goal in UEFA club competition. The Chilean international doubled his team’s tally ten minutes after the restart, nipping in the bud a Leverkusen rally sparked by Michal Kadlec’s 52nd-minute header. Lionel Messi’s seventh of the competition late on left Barcelona in control going into the second leg on 7 March.” UEFA (Video)