Barcelona beat Celtic in Glasgow thanks to a brace from Lionel Messi and a Thierry Henry special to take a 3-2 advantage back to the Camp Nou in a topsy-turvy Champions League last 16 tie.

Celtic threw the kitchen sink at Barcelona but the Spanish side were always in control, despite having to come back from behind on two occasions.

The game was, as expected, entertaining to say the least, Frank Rijkaard's men surely with one foot in the quarter finals after securing three away goals but the hosts making a superb spectacle of it.

The visitors dominated possession from the off, toying with Celtic who relied on goalkeeper Artur Boruc and some desperate defending to deny Ronaldinho, Andres Iniesta and Messi early on.

But they went behind against the run of play when the excellent Aiden McGeady wrought havoc on the left, the second ball falling to Lee Naylor whose pinpoint cross was powered home by the head of Jan Venegoor of Hesselink on 16 minutes.

Barca hit back immediately, hemming Celtic in their box from the restart and levelling when Messi played a one-two with Deco and sent a delicious chip over Boruc.

Ronalindinho tired later in the match but was in fine form, trademark shimmies, backheels and dummies mesmerising the Hoops defence and creating chances for Deco, Messi, Henry and himself.

Henry should have put Los Cules in front but could only fire over after Eric Abidal found him with some great control and a pinpoint cross on 36 minutes and - against the run of play once again - Celtic re-took the initiative when Barry Robson used his head to send another McGeady centre looping over Victor Valdes soon afterwards.

It was business as usual from that point onwards though, Messi firing over after a flowing move when he should have made Boruc work, while Ronaldinho was foiled by the Poland keeper just before the break, a shot from distance by McGeady all Celtic had to offer for the remainder of the match.

The pattern continued after half-time, and the Liga runners-up equalised when Henry - operating mostly on the left - sent a trademark curling effort into the top right seven minutes into the second half. It was a wonderful strike, reminiscent of the France man in his pomp with Arsenal, and gave Barca a crucial second away goal that forced Celtic to push forward in what would ultimately be vanity.

Ronaldinho gave one more example of why - for all his recent problems - Rijkaard just cannot let go of the Brazilian maestro, an outrageous backheel freeing Abidal, whose low cross was turned inches wide of the post by Henry, who later forced a quite superb reflex stop from Boruc at point-blank range.

Despite Celtic's efforts Barca were not going to be denied, and after Carles Puyol somehow headed Xavi's free kick straight at Boruc when it seemed easier to score, Messi had the last word when he turned the ball past the helpless Boruc after a Samuel Eto'o cross ricocheted off Massimo Donati into his path with 11 minutes remaining.

The return leg is at the Camp Nou on March 4th.

Reda Maher / Eurosport