Match ends, Barcelona 1, Manchester City 0.
BarcelonaBarcelona1Man CityManchester City0
- Man City last English team to exit Champions League
- Messi brilliance sets up Rakitic for only goal
- Aguero misses late penalty
- Hart makes most saves by English keeper in CL
Lionel Messi's masterclass dumped Manchester City out of the Champions League as the Premier League failed to provide a team in the last eight for the second time in three seasons.
Already leading 2-1 from the first leg of the last-16 tie, Barca tore through City as Neymar hit the post early on.
Messi set up Ivan Rakitic, who lobbed Joe Hart for a first-half goal.
City then needed two goals to take it to extra-time but Sergio Aguero's penalty was saved after he was fouled.
Although that golden opportunity in the 78th minute would have ensured a tense finale at the Nou Camp, it would also have put an unfair slant on the game, which Barca dominated for long periods.
The four-time champions registered 23 attempts toward the City goal but found keeper Hart in superb form as he almost took on a personal duel with Messi and kept the Argentine, and his team-mates, at bay.
City have now failed to reach the quarter-finals in each of their four Champions League campaigns.
As the best paid team in world sport, according to a recent study, it seems like a poor return on that investment.
With a fourth defeat in their last five games, there is also a genuine threat that their season could end up trophy-less. Manuel Pellegrini's side sit six points behind Premier League leaders Chelsea, who have a game in hand.
The former Villarreal boss admitted this week that he did not feel under pressure despite speculation that he could be sacked at the end of the season.
But after a wonderful exhibition of cute passing and mesmerising dribbling from Messi, there was little either Pellegrini or his team could do to stop the 27-year-old.
From the beginning, he was a menace, whether exchanging one-twos with Andres Iniesta or curling free-kicks with the type of spin a baseball pitcher would have been proud of.
The only thing missing from Messi's superlative display was a goal.
But after Neymar had hit the post early on after Vincent Kompany was dispossessed on the edge of his own box, Messi turned provider when he found Rakitic with a crossfield pass following a quick counter-attack.
In City's only notable chance of the first half, James Milner failed to touch in Yaya Toure's low cross.
Luis Suarez, who scored twice in the first leg, hit the post before the break and there was no let-up after the interval. Fortunately for City, Hart had a superb night and made 10 saves overall, a record for an English goalkeeper in the Champions League.
As the game entered its last half hour, the visitors did threaten the Barca goal and they were prepared to leave gaps at the back in doing so.
Their chance to change the tie's complexion was wasted, though, after Aguero was tripped in the penalty area by Gerard Pique.
City's top scorer stepped up to take the kick himself but Marc-Andre ter Stegen easily saved to his right.
| Champions League last eight |
|---|
| Atletico Madrid- beat Bayer Leverkusen on penalties |
| Barcelona- beat Man City 3-1 |
| Bayern Munich- beat Shakhtar Donetsk 7-0 |
| Juventus- beat Borussia Dortmund 5-1 |
| Monaco- beat Arsenal on away goals |
| Paris St-Germain- beat Chelsea on away goals |
| Porto- beat Basel 5-1 |
| Real Madrid- beat Schalke 5-4 |
Line-ups
Barcelona
Formation 4-3-3
- 1ter Stegen
- 22Alves da SilvaBooked at 80minsSubstituted forCorreiaat 90+1'minutes
- 3Piqué
- 24Mathieu
- 18Alba
- 4RakiticSubstituted forRafinhaat 84'minutes
- 14Mascherano
- 8Iniesta
- 10Messi
- 9Suárez
- 11Neymar
Substitutes
- 6Hernández
- 7Pedro
- 12Rafinha
- 13Bravo
- 15Bartra
- 20Roberto Carnicer
- 21Correia
Man City
Formation 4-4-1-1
- 1Hart
- 3Sagna
- 4Kompany
- 26DemichelisBooked at 82mins
- 11KolarovBooked at 20mins
- 8NasriBooked at 35minsSubstituted forNavasat 45'minutes
- 25FernandinhoBooked at 15mins
- 42Y TouréSubstituted forBonyat 72'minutes
- 7MilnerSubstituted forLampardat 87'minutes
- 21SilvaBooked at 27mins
- 16Agüero
Substitutes
- 5Zabaleta
- 6Reges
- 10Dzeko
- 13Caballero
- 14Bony
- 15Navas
- 18Lampard
- Referee:
- Gianluca Rocchi
- Attendance:
- 92,551
Match Stats
Home TeamBarcelonaAway TeamMan City
- Possession
- Home58%
- Away42%
- Shots
- Home23
- Away15
- Shots on Target
- Home11
- Away4
- Corners
- Home7
- Away5
- Fouls
- Home6
- Away12
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Barcelona 1, Manchester City 0.
Post update
Corner, Barcelona. Conceded by Joe Hart.
Post update
Attempt saved. Neymar (Barcelona) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Gerard Piqué with a through ball.
Post update
Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Rafinha.
Substitution
Substitution, Barcelona. Adriano replaces Dani Alves.
Post update
Corner, Barcelona. Conceded by Vincent Kompany.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Luis Suárez (Barcelona) right footed shot from very close range is blocked. Assisted by Dani Alves.
Post update
Attempt saved. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Neymar.
Substitution
Substitution, Manchester City. Frank Lampard replaces James Milner.
Post update
Offside, Barcelona. Lionel Messi tries a through ball, but Luis Suárez is caught offside.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Rafinha.
Post update
Attempt saved. Luis Suárez (Barcelona) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Lionel Messi.
Substitution
Substitution, Barcelona. Rafinha replaces Ivan Rakitic.
Post update
Attempt missed. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) left footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high from a direct free kick.
Booking
Martín Demichelis (Manchester City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Luis Suárez (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Foul by Martín Demichelis (Manchester City).
Post update
Attempt saved. Vincent Kompany (Manchester City) header from the right side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by James Milner.
Booking
Dani Alves (Barcelona) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
