Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has said that Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart is "a phenomenon" after his performance in their Champions League clash on Wednesday evening.
Manuel Pellegrini's side crashed out of the tournament as a result of their 1-0 defeat in the second leg at the Camp Nou, but the scoreline could have been worse for the visitors had it not been for the England number one.
Hart made a string of one-on-one saves to deny the likes of Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez and keep his side in the tie, having also denied Messi from the penalty spot in the closing stages of the first leg last month.
"Joe Hart had an absolutely fantastic game," Messi told UEFA's official website. "I already knew he was a top keeper but it was impressive in this performance how he just stopped everything that came his way, with either his hands or his body – he is a phenomenon.
"The fortunate thing, given all that, was we managed to get through the tie, which was all we wanted, so that we could be in Friday's quarter-final draw."
Premier League champions City have now lost to the Catalans in the last 16 for the second year in succession.
Steven Toplis
