Champions League Review: Messi Saves Barcelona From PSG Scare As Bayern Win Comfortably

Barcelona survived a scare to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League for a sixth consecutive season, defeating Paris Saint Germain on away goals after Pedro equalised 19 minutes from time at the Camp Nou.

After a 2-2 draw a week ago in Paris, the Catalans were big favourites to win through against big-spending PSG, who were making their first foray into the knock-out phase of the Champions League since 1995.

The first half saw chances for both sides, Xavi's free-kick finding the side netting before Victor Valdes saved from Ezequiel Lavezzi and Lucas Moura. Cesc Fabregas meanwhile cut a lonely figure up front in the absence of Lionel Messi as midfield duo Marco Verratti and Thiago Motta helped the Ligue 1 leaders hold firm.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic took a back seat for much of the game, as Lucas showed his big game temperament, but the Swede burst into the game five minutes after the break by playing in Javier Pastore, who put PSG on the brink of the last four with a calm finish

But the introduction of Messi, injured during the first leg in the French capital eight days previously, just after the hour sought to swing the contest the way of the hosts.

The four-time Ballon d'Or winner provided the all-important intervention on 71 minutes, feeding David Villa, who teed up Pedro to rifle into the corner.

PSG pushed hard in the dying minutes but it wasn't enough to shake Barcelona, leaving Messi's teammates to herald the Argentine's decisive influence.

Villa said: "Messi is the best player in the world and he changed the game just by being on the pitch.

"We have to congratulate him for his show of commitment to the team and to football. It is thanks to him, and everyone else, that we have qualified."

Pedro added: "Messi is a very important player and he put in a great effort after coming on.

"He was the catalyst - we changed after he came on and we have to thank him for that."

Meanwhile, in the other Champions League tie, Bayern Munich asserted their dominance in the competition with another convincing 2-0 victory over Juventus, to complete a 4-0 aggregate win in Turin.

The German side, having reached their third semi-final in four years, were particularly comfortable against their Italian counterparts as Mario Mandzukic and Claudio Pizarro scored late on to silence the boisterous Juventus Stadium crowd.

Bayern appeared comfortable throughout, with Andrea Pirlo's free kick, which was saved by Manuel Neuer, and Fabio Quagliarella's shot which struck the post, the closest the hosts came.

And it was the newly crowned German champions who opened the scoring as Bastian Schweinsteiger's free kick found Javi Martinez, whose header was saved by Gianluigi Buffon but the ball fell only as far as Mandzukic, who gobbled up the rebound just after the hour.

And with the away side in control, Pizarro slotted in a second in the 90<sup>th minute after a glorious passing move to lay down a marker ahead of the semi-finals.

Bayern help complete a star-studded line up in the Champions League last four, with the club joining Barcelona, Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund in Friday's draw.

Buffon, who conceded four goals against the German giants over both legs, believes the side are capable of winning the whole tournament no matter who they face.

"They can win the Champions League," the Italian said. "I did not think they were so strong - they have everything in place to win it.

"I was even more impressed tonight than in Munich. Because in the first leg we did not give our all, but tonight we did, yet still there was nothing we could do.

"I thought we could have played at their same level tonight, but Bayern proved I was wrong."