Second-half goals from Lionel Messi and Dani Alves booked Barcelona’s place in the Champions League quarterfinals for a seventh consecutive year as they beat Manchester City 2-1 at the Camp Nou on Wednesday to progress 4-1 on aggregate.
City were looking to become the first side to come back from losing the first leg 2-0 at home in the Champions League era and they had chances to reduce the deficit as Victor Valdes denied Samir Nasri and Edin Dzeko either side of half-time.
However, Messi killed the tie as a contest with 23 minutes remaining as he pounced on a loose ball inside the area to flick home his eighth Champions League goal of the season.
The visitors were then reduced to 10 men as Pablo Zabaleta was shown a second yellow card for dissent after Dzeko looked to have a legitimate penalty claim waved away by French referee Stephane Lannoy.
City captain Vincent Kompany looked to have salvaged at least a draw on the night when he tapped home a minute from time, but Alves restored Barca’s lead from Andres Iniesta’s cut-back in stoppage time.
The opener finally arrived when Cesc Fabregas’s intended through ball bounced off Lescott into the path of Messi and he gave Hart no chance with a nonchalant finish off the outside of his left foot.
There was still more controversy to come, though, as Dzeko appeared to have been felled by Gerard Pique inside the area.
Lannoy was again unmoved and Zabaleta was dismissed for taking his protests too far as a host of City players surrounded the referee.
The English side did manage a consolation a minute from time when Kompany tapped home Dzeko’s knockdown from a corner. However, Barca weren’t to be denied victory on the night as with their next attack Iniesta rounded Hart and kept his head to set up Alves to hammer home from close range.
PSG see off Bayer L’kusen to secure quarterfinals berth
PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain advanced safely into the quarterfinals of the Champions League on Wednesday, beating Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 at the Parc des Princes in their last 16, second leg to take the tie 6-1 on aggregate.
Trailing 4-0 from the first leg in Germany three weeks ago, the Germans took an early lead on the night through Sidney Sam, but Marquinhos equalised soon after.
Leverkusen captain Simon Rolfes had a penalty saved before Ezequiel Lavezzi put PSG in front eight minutes into the second period, and the sending-off of Emre Can saw the Bundesliga club bow out with 10 men.
No team had ever been eliminated from a European knock-out tie after winning 4-0 away in the first leg and PSG coach Laurent Blanc made the most of his side’s comfortable cushion by rotating his squad, as Thiago Motta and Alex dropped to the bench.
City win shows Barca’s strength, says Martino
BARCELONA: Barcelona showed their true quality by eliminating Manchester City from the Champions League, their coach Gerardo Martino said in response to questions about a poor run of form by his team.
‘We came through with a 4-1 victory against a very strong side both as a group and individually. If we can play like that against a side like City then it means that we are able to take on any side,’ Martino said.
The Argentine was under pressure after Barca lost two of the last three La Liga games against Real Sociedad and Valladolid and they were also beaten in February by Valencia. Those losses cost them first place in the league and they trail Real Madrid by four points.
‘It has not been an easy week but we have also played now against a team that was able to go a lot further (in the Champions League). We qualified for the next round It is a big boost for us.’
City were looking to become the first side to come back from losing the first leg 2-0 at home in the Champions League era and they had chances to reduce the deficit as Victor Valdes denied Samir Nasri and Edin Dzeko either side of half-time.
However, Messi killed the tie as a contest with 23 minutes remaining as he pounced on a loose ball inside the area to flick home his eighth Champions League goal of the season.
The visitors were then reduced to 10 men as Pablo Zabaleta was shown a second yellow card for dissent after Dzeko looked to have a legitimate penalty claim waved away by French referee Stephane Lannoy.
City captain Vincent Kompany looked to have salvaged at least a draw on the night when he tapped home a minute from time, but Alves restored Barca’s lead from Andres Iniesta’s cut-back in stoppage time.
The opener finally arrived when Cesc Fabregas’s intended through ball bounced off Lescott into the path of Messi and he gave Hart no chance with a nonchalant finish off the outside of his left foot.
There was still more controversy to come, though, as Dzeko appeared to have been felled by Gerard Pique inside the area.
Lannoy was again unmoved and Zabaleta was dismissed for taking his protests too far as a host of City players surrounded the referee.
The English side did manage a consolation a minute from time when Kompany tapped home Dzeko’s knockdown from a corner. However, Barca weren’t to be denied victory on the night as with their next attack Iniesta rounded Hart and kept his head to set up Alves to hammer home from close range.
PSG see off Bayer L’kusen to secure quarterfinals berth
PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain advanced safely into the quarterfinals of the Champions League on Wednesday, beating Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 at the Parc des Princes in their last 16, second leg to take the tie 6-1 on aggregate.
Trailing 4-0 from the first leg in Germany three weeks ago, the Germans took an early lead on the night through Sidney Sam, but Marquinhos equalised soon after.
Leverkusen captain Simon Rolfes had a penalty saved before Ezequiel Lavezzi put PSG in front eight minutes into the second period, and the sending-off of Emre Can saw the Bundesliga club bow out with 10 men.
No team had ever been eliminated from a European knock-out tie after winning 4-0 away in the first leg and PSG coach Laurent Blanc made the most of his side’s comfortable cushion by rotating his squad, as Thiago Motta and Alex dropped to the bench.
City win shows Barca’s strength, says Martino
BARCELONA: Barcelona showed their true quality by eliminating Manchester City from the Champions League, their coach Gerardo Martino said in response to questions about a poor run of form by his team.
‘We came through with a 4-1 victory against a very strong side both as a group and individually. If we can play like that against a side like City then it means that we are able to take on any side,’ Martino said.
The Argentine was under pressure after Barca lost two of the last three La Liga games against Real Sociedad and Valladolid and they were also beaten in February by Valencia. Those losses cost them first place in the league and they trail Real Madrid by four points.
‘It has not been an easy week but we have also played now against a team that was able to go a lot further (in the Champions League). We qualified for the next round It is a big boost for us.’