Chris Smalling "woke up the beast" after hitting Lionel Messi

Rio Ferdinand hinted that Chris Smalling was partly responsible for Lionel Messi's superb double against Manchester United on Tuesday night.

Messi found his form while United was comfortably beaten 3-0 at Nou Camp. Barcelona qualify for the semi-finals of the Champions League thanks to a 4-0 victory.

Messi had been lightly mastered in the first leg six days earlier when he had left Old Trafford, his face cut, after being struck by defender Smalling.

Lionel Messi (left) scored twice as Barcelona beat Manchester United 3-0 on Tuesday

Messi is found against United defender Chris Smalling for the second time in six days

Rio Ferdinand suggested that Messi could have been inspired by the shock of last week with Smalling

Former United United defender Ferdinand believes Messi may have taken advantage of this confrontation to stigmate Smalling and Co.

"He's just been living, really. One of the best gigs I've ever seen, "Ferdinand told BT Sport. & # 39; Smalling broke it in the first game, it is probably the worst thing that could have happened. He woke the beast.

& # 39; A player of this ability, sometimes just say that he is too good. Just to be here … there will be people in this stadium who will be able to say, "I was there to see Messi".

Ferdinand added: "It was a revenge mission in the second leg," he told a clinic. People can say that this Barca team is not as good as their old teams, but with him in the team, they can beat anyone.

Former playmaker Philippe Philippe Coutinho added to Messi's attack with a long-term plunge while Barca was in the bottom four.

They will play Liverpool or Porto in the semifinals. Liverpool takes a 2-0 lead to go to Portugal on Wednesday night.

In the first leg of the quarter-finals of the Champions League last week, Smalling hit the face of Messi

Messi's bloody face during Barcelona's 1-0 win at Old Trafford last week