Barcelona reach Champions League semi-finals with away-goals win against PSG after a 1-1 second-leg draw (3-3 agg)

Messi-inspired Barca reach semis

Substitute Lionel Messi instigates a Barcelona fightback as they knock out PSG on away goals to reach the Champions League last four.

At the final whistle of this absorbing game, Lionel Messi strolled around, shaking hands, receiving an embrace from PSG’s Ezequiel Lavezzi, almost oblivious to the emotions sweeping the terraces at his impact. Half an hour earlier, Messi had risen from the bench, helped create Barcelona’s equaliser and suddenly all the fears that had inhibited the hosts disappeared. Make no mistake: Messi rescued Barcelona this evening.

He acknowledged the officials, then ambled towards the tunnel, swapping shirts with his fellow-Argentine Lavezzi on the way. Messi cannot have been fully fit, and he must have been wary of that newly healed hamstring, but he was there when his team needed him. He combined with David Villa to provide the chance for Pedro to cancel out Javier Pastore’s opener.

So Thursday’s mouth-watering draw involves Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. Yet credit must be paid to PSG, who were superb, particularly Pastore, Lavezzi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Carlo Ancelotti’s side played with precision, pace and intelligence but Messi’s class told in the end.

All eyes had been on the bench before kick-off. Messi had recovered from his hamstring strain but was kept in reserve for an hour, meaning Cesc Fabregas started but failed in the false No 9 role. Yet with PSG taking a deserved lead after 50 minutes, and Barcelona painfully lacking a cutting edge, Tito Vilanova had to send on Messi on the hour. A simple move, a crucial move. Messi immediately gave Barcelona focus and confidence, helping them equalise.

Barcelona really needed their magical No 10. PSG had been so good. Their changes improved them. Thirty metres to the left of Barcelona’s dug-out where Messi had begun the night, Carlo Ancelotti had demoted David Beckham to the bench, opting for the greater mobility of Marco Verratti and Thiago Motta with Blaise Matuidi suspended. PSG were counter-attacking quickly, Pastore and Zlatan Ibrahimovic combined to smuggle Ezequiel Lavezzi through. That moment came to nothing but it set the tone: PSG, who had to score, committed players forward time after time.

They swiftly sensed that Barcelona were vulnerable through the middle. Adriano was no replacement for Javier Mascherano, let alone Carles Puyol. Mistakes and PSG’s speed on the counter brought serious discomfort to Barcelona fans, whose mood improved only when Messi arrived.

Sergio Busquets lost the ball to Lavezzi, who ran through and only Gerard Piqué’s alertness stopped him. Errors scarred Barcelona’s usually pristine work. Piqué even played the ball to Ibrahimovic. All was not well. Even Iniesta gave the ball away, the type of event surely followed by four horsemen saddling up.

Barcelona showed some of their elegance moving the ball into the final third but there was no finish in the first half. Pedro, David Villa and Fabregas were poor. There were moments of hope. Iniesta capped a long move with a shot blocked by Christophe Jallet. Villa concocted a neat flick to Dani Alves. Iniesta, spotting Salvatore Sirigu off his line, lifted the ball goalwards from 45 yards. The crowd followed its passage, all but a small quarter of the Nou Camp willing it to drop, but it cleared the bar.

PSG were content to hit on the counter. From a Jallet cutback, Lucas Moura’s angled drive was saved by Valdes. Iniesta attempted to sharpen Barcelona’s surges, dribbling past Jallet and Verratti. He then shimmied away from Ibrahimovic. Pedro briefly threatened with a promising run. But Barcelona were not hurting PSG.

The Nou Camp began whistling at one long PSG move. Well prepared by Ancelotti, the visitors kept looking to exploit rare hesistancy by Barcelona. Ibrahimovic worked the ball calmly through the middle to Lavezzi, whose quick break had taken him ahead of Jordi Alba. Valdes saved well and Pique swept up the pieces.

Below par with dead balls, Ibrahimovic’s creativity from open play almost brought PSG reward. He stood up a cross from the left met by Lucas Moura , whose header was pushed away slightly inelegantly by Valdes. When Adriano then fouled Lucas Moura, Ibrahimovic’s free-kick slammed into the wall.

PSG were getting closer. Five minutes into the second half, following a stirring rendition of La Marseillaise and much waving of tricolors by their fans, PSG took the lead. The goal, inevitably, came through the middle. Ibrahimovic’s touch had been teeing up his team-mates all evening and he threaded a superb pass here, sweeping the ball through for Pastore. The Argentine had timed his run perfectly, comfortably onside and then showing such composure in lifting the ball left-footed past Valdes.

Dismay spread through the tiers of Barcelona’s support. Their mood lifted when they spotted Messi adjusting his shin-pads and then emerging to warm up. He came on for the disappointing Fabregas after 62 minutes, making an impact within nine. Barcelona immediately had more belief. The fans had settled, emitting more positive vibes. Messi collected the ball just outside the area, advanced and flicked a delicate pass into the heart of PSG’s defence for Villa, who helped it back to Pedro. His response was exceptional, the ball rifled past Sirigu.

With eight minutes remaining, Ancelotti sent on Beckham, withdrawing Verratti. Vilanova made an understandable defensive change, removing Villa and putting Alex Song in midfield to disrupt the supply-line to Ibrahimovic. Beckham was operating deep, slipping one good ball down the line to Jallet but then being totally caught out by Xavi’s movement.

Mistakes were now creeping into PSG’s play. They had given so much. Lucas Moura fouled Busquets. Thiago Silva fouled Messi. Jallet pushed over Pedro. PSG’s defence was then exposed by a delicate turn from Iniesta, who eluded Jallet so elegantly but shot into the side-netting as Camp Nou chanted his name.

The turn from Iniesta deserved a standing ovation. It was that good. PSG had a final chance but Valdes was equal to Ibrahimovic’s header. Barcelona were through.