Barcelona vs Man Utd: Lionel Messi fires Spaniards into Champions League semi-finals
Relive all of the drama
Lionel Messi delivered another reminder of his enduring star quality as Barcelona quashed Manchester United's hopes of another improbable Champions League comeback at the Nou Camp.
United had overcome a two-goal deficit at Paris St Germain last month but Messi's first-half brace and a wonder strike from Philippe Coutinho ushered Barcelona towards a 3-0 victory, 4-0 on aggregate, at the ground of one of the Premier League side's greatest triumphs.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was insistent that the 1999 Champions League final win over Bayern Munich would have no bearing on this quarter-final second leg and his remarks proved accurate.
While his side made an energetic start, with Marcus Rashford denied by the goal frame within seconds of kick-off, Barcelona became more proactive and Messi, as he so often has done in the past, took top billing.
Relive all of the drama below.
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Barcelona 2-0 Manchester United, 41 minutes
Rakitic is in the opposite area on this occasion and should really do better.
He ghosts into space at the near post as Lionel Messi whips a free kick in, a set play not followed by Manchester United, who let the Croatian run.
He flicks blindly, but fails to get enough contact on the ball to drastically alter its path, and thus the save is simple for David De Gea.
Barcelona 2-0 Manchester United, 43 minutes
A moment indicative of the night so far for Manchester United: Marcus Rashford fires a 30-yard free kick into the shins of a two man wall.
Barcelona 2-0 Manchester United, 45 minutes
Lionel Messi drifts to the left and has a go at Victor Lindelof, the combined might of the Swede and Scott McTominay just about enough to eventually stop Messi's path after he beats each of them twice in the same movement. He's looked on from the word go.
Into two added minutes. Five will be played in Turin.
Barcelona 2-0 Manchester United, 45 + 1 minutes
What an extraordinary save!
Lionel Messi is the creator this time, turning past Phil Jones, chopping between the defender's legs and slotting the ball in behind.
The ball is squared, Sergi Roberto is arriving, sliding two yards out and it seems sure the score will soon be 3-0.
But more by luck than judgement David De Gea keeps it out, spreading his body big and somehow managing to stay the right side of the line even as his movement takes him towards the bottom corner, the ball rebounding away with Roberto utterly dumbfounded that he managed to miss.
Juventus 1-1 Ajax, 45 + 4 minutes
Still playing at the Allianz Stadium.
Cristiano Ronaldo, free kick, 35 yards. Only he could score from here...
Awful. Much like Rashford, into the shins of a jumping wall.
That should be that for the half.
Two very decent games of European football.
As Miguel pointed out, Manchester United haven't been that bad. In fact, their tactics have largely worked, except in dealing with Lionel Messi, handing him two opportunities, one of which he finished brilliantly, the other capitalised upon via an uncharacteristic error from David De Gea.
And that's the difference between the two sides. Barcelona well on their way to the semi-finals.
It was a bit of a peculiar half in Turin, too.
Both Ajax and Juventus had their moments, isolated ones in a half probably lacking in real quality at the top end.
And the goals came without real quality. The first after a collision at a corner to allow a great goalscorer a chance, the second after a mishit shot that careered into a teammate's path. Very much in the balance.
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