Barcelona advanced to the semi-finals of the Champions League on away goals courtesy of a 1-1 draw with Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg of their quarter-final clash at the Camp Nou.
It was the away side that created most of the chances in the first period, but they could not make the breakthrough as it remained 0-0 on the night.
PSG had the lead after 50 minutes when Javier Pastore drove into the box before clipping his effort into the back of the net. However, Barcelona levelled on the night with 20 minutes to play when Pedro found the bottom corner from close range.
The French outfit continued to force the issue in the latter stages, but they could not find the second as Barcelona advanced courtesy of away goals.
Here, Sports Mole dissects the 90 minutes of action between the two European rivals.
Match statistics:
Barcelona:
Shots: 11
On target: 2
Possession: 63%
Corners: 7
Fouls: 11
PSG:
Shots: 13
On target: 8
Possession: 37%
Corners: 5
Fouls: 14
Was the result fair?
On the balance of play, you would have to say that it wasn't a fair result. Barcelona may have dominated the possession this evening, but it was the French outfit that created most of the clear-cut chances. The match changed when Lionel Messi was introduced in the second period, while the home side used all their experience in the latter stages to slow the tempo. On another night, it would have been PSG celebrating.
Barcelona's performance
It was hardly vintage from the Spanish outfit this evening, but they will be in the draw for the semi-finals. There is no question that they are not the same team without a certain Argentine, but in the end they just did enough to advance to the latter stages. However, their performance would not have scared the likes of Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich.
PSG's performance
It is hard not to be impressed by their performance this evening. They took the game to Barcelona in the first period, but really should have entered the break with a lead. Once they had opened the scoring, you always felt that they would need another goal, which proved to be the case. They have spent a vast amount of money on individual players, but they have grown into a top team.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Lionel Messi: It is perhaps too easy to give this award to the Argentine, but he changed the match. It is as simple as that. A special mention must be given to Lucas Moura, who was wonderful for the away side, but Messi's introduction won this tie for Barcelona.
Biggest gaffe of the match
It is hard to be critical of PSG this evening, but they should have entered the interval with a lead. They had three glorious chances in the first period, which would have handed them a cushion in the tie. Ultimately, they were made to pay for missed opportunities.
Referee performance
Bjorn Kuipers had a successful 90 minutes of action this evening. The Dutchman went largely unnoticed for large periods of the match, which is always a good sign for a referee. Overall, neither team would have had any complaints about his performance.
What next?
Barcelona: The Spanish outfit will attempt to extend their lead at the top of La Liga when they travel to Real Zaragoza on Sunday.
PSG: Carlo Ancelotti's side also resume domestic duty this weekend when they travel to Troyes.
Matt Law
