Lionel Messi swept holder Barcelona into the Champions League semifinals for the fifth successive year yesterday while becoming the competition's most prolific scorer in a single season.

The Argentina forward scored two first-half penalties to lead Barcelona to a 3-1 victory over Milan.

Messi opened the scoring in the 11th minute at the Camp Nou before Antonio Nocerino countered with a 32nd-minute strike that gave the Italian champions a valuable away goal after the first leg had ended scoreless.

Barcelona's attack did not relent and the defending champions were awarded a second penalty when Alessandro Nesta yanked Sergio Busquets down inside the area for Messi to score his record 14th goal of the competition this season.

Goalkeeper Christian Abbiati kept Milan in reach but could not stop Andres Iniesta from completing the victory from close range in the 53rd.

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

Also yesterday Ivica Olic scored twice to send Bayern Munich comfortably through to the Champions League semifinals for the second time in three years with a 2-0 win over Marseille.

Bayern had a 2-0 lead from the first leg and Olic all but secured the German side's progression when he struck in the 13th minute, after former Marseille player Franck Ribery set the Croatian up for an easy tap in. Olic then put the result beyond doubt in the 37th by making it 4-0 on aggregate.

Desperate defending prevented the impressive Ribery from scoring against his former side late on.

Marseille improved in the second half but had little hope of ending Bayern's dream of playing the final in its own stadium on 19 May.

That challenge will likely be Real Madrid's, as the Spanish side holds a 3-0 lead over APOEL Nicosia before today's second leg of their quarterfinal.