The star man's two goals put his side on the cusp of the Champions League final, much to the delight of his Barca team-mates
Barcelona midfielder Arturo Vidal hailed "spectacular" two-goal hero Lionel Messi after he helped the club put one foot in the Champions League final with a 3-0 win over Liverpool in the first leg of their semi-final clash.
Messi was once again the star of the show, turning in a second-half brace for the Catalans, including a stellar free-kick for Barcelona's third, as the Spanish giants overcame a second-half push from the Premier League side.
Messi's second of the night was his 600th in club football and Vidal heaped praise on the Argentine post-game, saying: "Messi is spectacular – it's amazing what he does on the pitch.
"Today was the most important game of the year and I tried to enjoy it as much as possible."
Barca are on track to complete the treble, having already won La Liga and with the Spanish giants also set to face Valencia in the Copa del Rey final.
Vidal arrived from Bayern Munich at the start of the season and the Chile international is still searching for a Champions League title, having been a runner-up with Juventus at the hands of Barca in 2014-15.
The 31-year-old was a surprise starter against Liverpool midweek and says winning the European crown would be a dream come true.
"I would give anything to win the Champions League," he said.
"I always think I'm going to play at home and today I tried to take advantage of it."