European Champions League

Barcelona 4 - Arsenal 1

Barcelona: Víctor Valdés; Dani Alves, Márquez, Milito, Abidal (Maxwell 53'); Xavi, Busquets, Keita; Messi, Bojan (Toure Yayá 56'), Pedro (Iniesta 86'). 4-3-3.
Arsenal: Almunia; Sagna, Silvestre (Eboué 63'), Vermaelen, Clichy; Denilson, Diaby; Walcott, Rosicky (Eduardo 73'), Nasri; Bendtner. 4-2-3-1.

Goals:
0-1. 18. Bendtner. Poked shot in to net after Valdés blocked striker's first effort.
1-1. 21. Messi. Fired shot wide of Almunia after Silvestre played ball back to him.
2-1. 37. Messi. Picked up Pedro's flicked pass and chipped shot wide of keeper.
3-1. 42. Messi. Ran on to Keita headed pass and lobbed shot over keeper's head.
4-1. 88. Messi. Drilled angled shot under legs of Almunia after first shot saved.

Another brilliant performance by Leo Messi left Arsenal high and dry, and took Barcelona through to a semi-final meeting with Mourinho's Inter Milan. After their fight back to 2-2 in the Emirates stadium,

Arsene Wenger's side were not to be overawed, and with eighteen minutes on the clock they surprised their hosts when Bendtner poked the ball in to the net after Valdés had blocked the striker's first shot. But just three minutes later Messi's first effort came back off Silvestre, and with four players closing in he unleashed an unstoppable shot past Almunia. A quarter of an hour later Messi picked up a flick from Pedro to run on and clip a shot past the keeper, and before the half time whistle he completed his hat-trick after running on to Keita's headed pass to chip a shot over Almunia in to the net.

Conscious of Arsenal's come back from six days ago, Guardiola went in to defensive mode after the restart, and the visitors could have scored when Bendtner headed against the post only to be ruled marginally offside. But with two minutes to go Messi got the ball again, and after Almunia blocked his first effort, the World's best player fired the rebound through his legs to round off a magic night in the Nou Camp. Next up Real Madrid!