The Argentina forward scored a pair of first-half penalty kicks and Andres Iniesta added another goal after the break to give Barcelona a 3-1 victory over AC Milan following a 0-0 draw in Italy.

Messi’s 14th Champions League goal this season surpassed Ruud van Nistelrooy’s tally in the 2002-03 campaign.

Ivica Olic also scored twice on Tuesday to ensure Bayern Munich joined fellow four-time champion Barcelona in the semifinals.

Bayern emulated its 2-0 first-leg victory over Marseille to advance 4-0 on aggregate.

Barcelona was helped by the two penalties against Milan — the second for the type of shirt pulling in the area that often goes unpunished — but coach Pep Guardiola said the victory was well deserved.

“You can talk all you want about referees but that makes it five straight semifinals, the fruits of our talent and a lot of work,” Guardiola said.

Bayern will likely face Real Madrid in the semifinals, with the Spanish leaders protecting a 3-0 lead over Cypriot team APOEL Nicosia. Chelsea will play Barcelona in the last four if the London club can defend a 1-0 lead over Benfica.

But with Pep Guardiola’s side seemingly impervious in Europe, Barca is primed to become the first team to defend the European Cup since the Champions League’s inception in the 1992-93 season.

Protecting Messi will be key, though, with the Argentina forward having already netted 58 goals this season in all competitions.

He slotted his first into the net after 11 minutes at the Camp Nou after being brought down in the penalty area by Luca Antonini.

There was a brief response from the Italian champions against the run of play, with Antonio Nocerino leveling in the 32nd.

Robinho picked out Zlatan Ibrahimovic and the former Barcelona striker slipped the ball through for Nocerino to strike past Victor Valdes.

But that away goal wasn’t enough for Milan as Messi restored the hosts’ lead in the 41st from the spot after Alessandro Nesta hauled Sergio Busquets down. Messi’s 14th European Cup goal of the season matched Mazzola Altafini’s 49-year-old record.

While Messi was denied a hat trick at the start of the second half when his shot was blocked, the ball fell for Iniesta to extend Barca’s lead from a tight angle.

Milan has not reached the semifinals since winning the Champions League in 2007.

But Bayern is into the last four for the second time in the three years thanks in part to Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes resting Mario Gomez in favor of Olic.

And on a rare start, Olic delivered.

His first goal was an easy tap-in into the net in the 13th after former Marseille player Franck Ribery glided past the visiting defense to set up the Croatian.

Ribery also helped to create the second by feeding David Alaba down the left flank, and the Austrian midfielder crossed for Olic to nip ahead of his marker and score from close range.
 

 In  Kashiwa, Japan,  South Korean champions Jeonbuk Motors got its Asian Champions League campaign back on track yesterday with a 2-0 win over previously undefeated Burriram United of Thailand.

In other early matches, J-League champion Kashiwa Reysol was held to a 0-0 draw at home by China’s Guangzhou Evergrande in Group H, while A-League champion Brisbane Roar held on for a 1-1 away draw Ulsan Hyundai.

Striker Lee Dong-gook opened the scoring for Jeonbuk in the ninth minute and Seo Sang-min doubled the lead in the 33rd. Burriram, which was the surprising Group H leader after the first two matches, struggled with its attack in an ill-tempered match that featured six yellow cards.

Burriram remains top of Group H despite the loss. Kashiwa and Guanzhou remain two points back after their draw.

In Group F, A-League champion Brisbane Roar managed a draw against Ulsan Hyundai despite playing the second half with 10 men after Matt Jurman was red carded in the 47th minute for grabbing at a goal-bound Kim Seung-young. The Australians opened the scoring via Nick Fitzgerald’s powerful right-foot strike in the 36th minute and, despite Michael Theoklitos’ brilliant save of Lee Keun-ho’s penalty attempt, the Korean club equalized through Lee Jae-seong in the 54th.

Mitch Nichols missed a chance in the 68th to put the Roar ahead, while Ulsan wasted late opportunities when skipper Kwak Tae-hwi’s header hit the crossbar.

Ulsan moved to five points from three matches, while Brisbane has two points and is yet to win in the continental competition.

Brisbane Roar is involved in the A-League playoffs, taking a two-goal advantage to Central Coast Mariners on Sunday, aiming to secure direct entry to the Australian league grand final.

In the other Group F match, Tokyo FC joined Ulsan at the top after a 1-1 draw with Beijing Guoan. Wang Xiaolong opened the scoring for Beijing in the 11th minute but Ariajasuru Hasegawa ensured Tokyo would get a share of the points with a strike in the 44th minute.