PSG's Lucas, right, competes with Barcelona's Jordi Alba during the Champions League quarter-final second leg. Photograph: Emilio Morenatti/AP
Leo Messi came off the bench to play a key role as Barcelona edged their way into the semi-final of the Champions League, maintaining their hopes of winning a third European Cup at Wembley. Nine minutes after coming on, and with his team struggling, he combined with David Villa and Pedro Rodríguez to create the goal that equalised Javier Pastore's opener and put Barcelona through on away goals.
This was not the way they would have wanted it and the sense of vulnerability was palpable throughout a game in which they were never safe, but Barça progress to a sixth consecutive semi-final.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic's 94th-minute first-leg goal, scored from a position that was clearly offside, denied Barcelona a 2-1 away win and changed the complexion of this tie. Analysed coldly, 2-2 away remained a positive result. But it had come at a heavy cost: Javier Mascherano suffered a torn knee ligament putting him out for an estimated six weeks. With Carles Puyol also injured, Tito Vilanova chose Adriano in an unnatural but not entirely unfamiliar position in the centre of defence that meant Barcelona's vulnerability in the air appeared even more pronounced.
Even more significantly, Leo Messi had been withdrawn at half-time in the first leg after reaching for his hamstring. There were hopes that he might start here with Barcelona leaving the decision until the last minute. In the end, though, they decided not to risk him. He started on the bench, with Cesc Fábregas taking his place as the false no9 alongside Pedro and David Villa in the front three. For Cesc, it is the position in which he probably feels most comfortable. In his last match there, four days ago, he had scored the first hat-trick of his career.
In the opening minutes, it appeared that the enforced change could be an effective one here too. The game was barely a minute old when half the stadium rose to celebrate the opening goal only to realise that Xavi's free kick had hit the side netting. Before ten minutes had passed, Villa struck another free kick into the wall, Cesc tumbled in the area and Andrés Iniesta had a shot blocked. Then Iniesta saw Salvatore Sirigu off his line and tried to strike the ball over him from forty yards.
He was the man who carried the greatest threat but the momentum soon drained away. This was a largely disjointed opening in which Barcelona failed to exercise their normal control and as the half progressed they would come to suffer too. And not, as might have been expected, with the ball delivered in the air, but the speed of PSG's runners into the space between defenders.
Mid-way through the half, the game's best opportunity fell to Ezequiel Lavezzi, when Zlatan Ibrahimovic's perfectly weighted pass put him one on one with Valdés. The keeper was out quickly to stop with his legs and he saved again four minutes later when Marco Verratti found Ibrahimovic on the right and his cross found Lucas. From the corner, another save – this time diving to reach Alex's header as it bounce up off the turf.
Within five minutes of the restart, Barcelona were behind. Ibrahimovic combined swiftly with Pastore, twice exchanging passes with the Argentinian and sending him into the huge space that lay behind Barcelona's advanced defence. Dani Alves chased Pastore but to no avail and his left footed shot squirmed past Valdés and into the net.
On the Barcelona bench, Messi pulled his socks up. A huge roar greeted him as he made his way to the touchline and began to warm up. Their task could have been even greater but Ibrahimovic's clever pull-back did not meet with the finish it deserved.
In the process, Adriano pulled up injured and had to be substituted by Marc Bartra. But before he could make it on, Alves had blasted Barcelona's best chance over from Jordi Alba's cross. When he did run on, there was a huge roar: coming on behind him, in place of Cesc, was Leo Messi. Barcelona had hoped that it would not come to this but they needed him.
He had half an hour to sort this mess out. Suddenly, the atmosphere changed. But when the first chance did drop his way, Messi was unable to control the ball when Iniesta's shot flew back off Sirigu.
The change did have an impact, though. Messi collected twenty yards from goal, dashed away from Pastore and evaded Verratti to find Villa in the area. He controlled and laid the ball back to Pedro who thumped a clean finish into the far corner. Messi had been on the pitch nine minutes. The intensity of the celebration, with Pedro leading a dash towards the bench and Messi clenching his fist, spoke of the relief.
Barcelona seemed different now; not that they were safe and not that the nerves deserted them entirely. Andrés Iniesta produced a gorgeous turn in the area but put his shot wide with three minutes left while at the other end Lucas almost bundled his way through. The match, and the tie, remained on a knife edge. There were whistles now, the noise rising as they pleaded with the referee to end it. When he finally did, just moments after Ibrahimovic's header was caught by Valdés, the Camp Nou erupted. It was the night's biggest roar, marginally louder than the one that greeted Messi's introduction.
This was not the way they would have wanted it and the sense of vulnerability was palpable throughout a game in which they were never safe, but Barça progress to a sixth consecutive semi-final.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic's 94th-minute first-leg goal, scored from a position that was clearly offside, denied Barcelona a 2-1 away win and changed the complexion of this tie. Analysed coldly, 2-2 away remained a positive result. But it had come at a heavy cost: Javier Mascherano suffered a torn knee ligament putting him out for an estimated six weeks. With Carles Puyol also injured, Tito Vilanova chose Adriano in an unnatural but not entirely unfamiliar position in the centre of defence that meant Barcelona's vulnerability in the air appeared even more pronounced.
Even more significantly, Leo Messi had been withdrawn at half-time in the first leg after reaching for his hamstring. There were hopes that he might start here with Barcelona leaving the decision until the last minute. In the end, though, they decided not to risk him. He started on the bench, with Cesc Fábregas taking his place as the false no9 alongside Pedro and David Villa in the front three. For Cesc, it is the position in which he probably feels most comfortable. In his last match there, four days ago, he had scored the first hat-trick of his career.
In the opening minutes, it appeared that the enforced change could be an effective one here too. The game was barely a minute old when half the stadium rose to celebrate the opening goal only to realise that Xavi's free kick had hit the side netting. Before ten minutes had passed, Villa struck another free kick into the wall, Cesc tumbled in the area and Andrés Iniesta had a shot blocked. Then Iniesta saw Salvatore Sirigu off his line and tried to strike the ball over him from forty yards.
He was the man who carried the greatest threat but the momentum soon drained away. This was a largely disjointed opening in which Barcelona failed to exercise their normal control and as the half progressed they would come to suffer too. And not, as might have been expected, with the ball delivered in the air, but the speed of PSG's runners into the space between defenders.
Mid-way through the half, the game's best opportunity fell to Ezequiel Lavezzi, when Zlatan Ibrahimovic's perfectly weighted pass put him one on one with Valdés. The keeper was out quickly to stop with his legs and he saved again four minutes later when Marco Verratti found Ibrahimovic on the right and his cross found Lucas. From the corner, another save – this time diving to reach Alex's header as it bounce up off the turf.
Within five minutes of the restart, Barcelona were behind. Ibrahimovic combined swiftly with Pastore, twice exchanging passes with the Argentinian and sending him into the huge space that lay behind Barcelona's advanced defence. Dani Alves chased Pastore but to no avail and his left footed shot squirmed past Valdés and into the net.
On the Barcelona bench, Messi pulled his socks up. A huge roar greeted him as he made his way to the touchline and began to warm up. Their task could have been even greater but Ibrahimovic's clever pull-back did not meet with the finish it deserved.
In the process, Adriano pulled up injured and had to be substituted by Marc Bartra. But before he could make it on, Alves had blasted Barcelona's best chance over from Jordi Alba's cross. When he did run on, there was a huge roar: coming on behind him, in place of Cesc, was Leo Messi. Barcelona had hoped that it would not come to this but they needed him.
He had half an hour to sort this mess out. Suddenly, the atmosphere changed. But when the first chance did drop his way, Messi was unable to control the ball when Iniesta's shot flew back off Sirigu.
The change did have an impact, though. Messi collected twenty yards from goal, dashed away from Pastore and evaded Verratti to find Villa in the area. He controlled and laid the ball back to Pedro who thumped a clean finish into the far corner. Messi had been on the pitch nine minutes. The intensity of the celebration, with Pedro leading a dash towards the bench and Messi clenching his fist, spoke of the relief.
Barcelona seemed different now; not that they were safe and not that the nerves deserted them entirely. Andrés Iniesta produced a gorgeous turn in the area but put his shot wide with three minutes left while at the other end Lucas almost bundled his way through. The match, and the tie, remained on a knife edge. There were whistles now, the noise rising as they pleaded with the referee to end it. When he finally did, just moments after Ibrahimovic's header was caught by Valdés, the Camp Nou erupted. It was the night's biggest roar, marginally louder than the one that greeted Messi's introduction.
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