One of the late Stephen Hawking’s last theories was that black holes might lead to alternate universes. After Wednesday night, Roman Abramovich might fund a Chelsea space programme to find one in which Lionel Messi does not exist.
Hawking’s death may have dominated the front pages on Thursday, but it was Messi who was king of the back.
The Barcelona man was the difference between an impressive Chelsea side and a place in the Champions League quarter-finals.
This was a performance that gives further credence to the idea that Messi, as lauded as Cristiano Ronaldo may be, is the finest player on the planet.