Story highlights
- Barcelona claims 1-1 draw against PSG to qualify for semifinals
- Barca progresses on away goals after teams finish level at 3-3 on aggregate
- Bayern Munich eased past Juventus 2-0 in Turin
- Last year's runner-up Bayern won 4-0 on aggregate
Las Ramblas rumbled. The foundations of La Sagrada Familia began to shake. Camp Nou was silenced.
A shadow cast itself across the city as the sun dipped beneath the stands.
Amidst the rising tension a diminutive figure rose. He bent down, tied his laces and strode forward.
Cometh the hour, cometh the man.
Those sat around the amphitheater rose in celebration, the enemy shrunk back into their skins, the victory was already assured.
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As Lionel Messi placed his feet onto the Camp Nou turf you could see a visible chill go down the spine of each and every Paris Saint-Germain player.
Leading 1-0 and with a place in the semifinals of the Champions League within touching distance, PSG looked set to produce one of the most remarkable results of the competition.
A 2-2 draw in last week's first leg appeared to have given Barcelona the edge in a tie which the Catalan club was expected to breeze through.
But when Javier Pastore shook the very foundations of one of Europe's greatest bastions, a cloud began to descend upon manager Tito Vilanova and his ailing players.
Barcelona might be 13 points clear at the top of La Liga, but this was not a performance which engendered confidence.
Suddenly there was doubt, anxiety, even fear. And then in a matter of minutes, everything had changed. Order had been restored.
Just nine minutes after Messi's introduction, Barcelona was level as the French resistance wilted under the wizardry of the game's most talented attacking force.
The four-time World Player of the Year has scored 57 times this season, but just his mere presence was enough to unnerve his opponents.
A 1-1 draw was enough to take Barcelona through on away goals after the two teams finished level at 3-3 on aggregate.
But it could have been so different had the French side taken the chances afforded to them during a frantic opening 45 minutes.
Ezequiel Lavezzi wasted the most clear-cut opportunity, racing onto Zlatan Ibrahimovic's through ball only to fire straight at the onrushing Victor Valdes.
Lucas Moura forced Valdes into a sharp save when he headed Ibrahimovic's cross towards goal as the visiting side began to turn the screw.
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The French league leaders continued to look threatening and it came as no surprise when it finally grabbed the initiative five minutes after the break.
Once again it was enigmatic Ibrahimovic who created the opportunity, threading the ball through to Pastore.
The Argentine playmaker took the ball in his stride before lashing home a left-footed effort which left Valdes with no chance.
But no sooner had the ball hit the net than a certain somebody was already preparing to make a grand entrance.
As Messi began to warm-up on the sideline, the crowd responded. Suddenly, the fear and anxiety which had gripped those adorned in the blue and red of Barcelona began to dissipate.
His entrance onto the pitch with 28 minutes remaining seemed to breathe new life into a Barcelona side which had failed to produce anything of note in front of goal.
But with Messi, albeit not a 100% Messi on the field, the home side began to tick and within nine minutes of his introduction it was level.
Inevitably it was the Argentine who made the difference, jinking his way past two white shirts before rolling the ball in for David Villa, who laid it off for Pedro to rifle home.
That goal sealed Barcelona's place in the semifinals for the sixth consecutive year and defender Gerard Pique believes his side ran out worthy winners.
"I think Barca has shown a lot of quality in the six years and I think we deserve it again to be in the semifinals," Pique told Sky Sports.
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"Paris St-Germain is very strong with good quality but I think we deserved it.
"In the first leg we deserved a little more and tonight we're very happy to have qualified.
"It doesn't matter if he's a little bit injured he can change everything.
"We are very proud and lucky to have him in our side. He's our reference as a striker - he can score, he can pass he can do anything and everything."
PSG coach Carlo Ancelotti added: "I thought we played well. We caused Barca problems, but Messi is a fantastic player and can find a solution for his team even when not fully fit."
In the night's other game, Bayern Munich produced a hugely impressive performance to book its place in the last four courtesy of a 2-0 win over Juventus.
Leading 2-0 from the first leg, Bayern eased past the Italian side thanks to goals from Mario Mandzukic and Claudio Pizarro.
Bayern, which lost in the final to Chelsea in Munich last year, joins Bundesliga rival Borussia Dortmund in the semifinals.
It is the first time two German clubs have made the last four of the competition in the same season.
Photos: Dramatic night in Dortmund
Photos: Dramatic night in Dortmund
Drama at the death – Dortmund's players celebrate their famous 3-2 victory over Malaga and will now look forward to the semifinals where it could be joined by fellow German club Bayern Munich.
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Photos: Dramatic night in Dortmund
Malaga's moment – After Robert Lewandowski had canceled out Joaquin's opener, Eliseu looked to have booked his side's place in the last four when he tapped home from close-range with just eight minutes remaining.
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Photos: Dramatic night in Dortmund
Twist in the tale – Malaga had looked home and dry but just two minutes after Marco Reus had leveled, Felipe Santana fired home a dramatic winner to spark scenes of wild celebrations amongst the home fans.
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Photos: Dramatic night in Dortmund
Party time – Lukasz Piszczek, Nuri Sahin and Mats Hummels can't help but go crazy with excitement following the final whistle.
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Photos: Dramatic night in Dortmund
Down and out – Malaga midfielder Jeremy Toulalan was left floored after his side's painful late defeat. The Spanish club, which was making its debut in the competition, was just minutes away from the semifinals.
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Photos: Eric Castel: Barelona and PSG's comic book hero
Photos: Eric Castel: Barelona and PSG's comic book hero
A star is born – The first edition of Eric Castel was published in 1979 and focused on the Barcelona player meeting a group of young fans known as the "Pablitos". The second edition, entitled "Retur-Match" or "Second-Leg" was released later the same year.
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Photos: Eric Castel: Barelona and PSG's comic book hero
Au revoir – The eighth edition was arguably the series' most controversial when Castel left Barcelona to join French team Paris Saint-Germain in a release entitled "La Grande Decision" ("The Big Decision").
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Photos: Eric Castel: Barelona and PSG's comic book hero
Before... – A initial sketch signed by Castel illustrator Raymond Reding appeared on the 10th issue's cover. According to the Lambiek Comiclopedia, Reding joined the editorial team of Tintin in 1950.
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Photos: Eric Castel: Barelona and PSG's comic book hero
After – Castel was not the first footballing hero that Reding, who had always had a keen interest in sports, created. In 1963 he came up with the idea for Vincent Larcher, a centre forward, who played for AC Milan.
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Photos: Eric Castel: Barelona and PSG's comic book hero
Black and white... – After leaving Tintin in 1979, Reding and Francoise Hugues created Castel.
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Photos: Eric Castel: Barelona and PSG's comic book hero
Color – Reding's 1986 cover "Le Plan de l'Argentin" ("The Argentine's plan"). Frenchman Reding was born in 1920, but grew up in Belgium. He had a number of different jobs -- including one as a jazz pianist -- before he began drawing and writing.
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Photos: Eric Castel: Barelona and PSG's comic book hero
Barca brilliance – Although this picture is black and white, Barcelona's iconic striped kit is still clearly visible on Castel's shirt.
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Photos: Eric Castel: Barelona and PSG's comic book hero
Allez Castel – During his spell at PSG, Castel led the club to European glory, with the French club beating Barca in the CEVA Cup final.
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Photos: Real deal
Photos: Real deal
Fast start – Cristiano Ronaldo gave Real a ninth minute lead against Galatasaray with a delightful finish to take his tally to nine for the competition and 45 for the season.
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Photos: Real deal
Deadly Drogba – Didier Drogba, who scored the winning penalty in the final for Chelsea against Bayern Munich last season, caused the Real defense problems in the opening stages.
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Photos: Real deal
Benzema beauty – Karim Benzema doubled Real's lead on 29 minutes after Michael Essien's cross caused confusion in the Turkish defense and left the striker with a simple finish.
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Photos: Real deal
Hot Higuain – Gonzalo Higuain came off the bench to add Real's third and all but secure its place in the last four of the competition.
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Photos: Real deal
Platini protest – Malaga fans protest against UEFA president Michel Platini over threats to refuse the club permission to play in European competition next season because of its financial situation.
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Photos: Real deal
Battle stations – Dortmund's Lukasz Piszczek had his hands full up against Malaga's talented midfielder Isco in a hard-fought affair in Spain. Malaga, which is playing in the competition for the first time in its history, was given a rough ride by the German side.
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Photos: Real deal
Phantom menace – Marcel Schmelzer started in defense for Dortmund despite being forced to wear a mask after breaking his nose at the weekend.
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Photos: Real deal
Dortmund deadlock – Dortmund's Polish striker Robert Lewandowski wasted a glorious opportunity to grab an away goal, while midfielder Mario Gotze also squandered a chance as the game finished goalless.
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And winger Arjen Robben, who was denied a goal of his own by the woodwork, is keen to avoid Jurgen Klopp's side in the next round.
"If you win away 2-0 in Turin here I think that's an amazing result because they are unbeaten for I don't know how many games and they are so strong at the back," Robben told Sky Sports.
"Even more, if you dominate the game in the second half as we did, it is a great performance.
"We would like to be kept apart from Borussia Dortmund in the semifinals but we don't have a choice and it comes out how it comes.
"It going to be a big one and the semifinals have maybe the four best teams at the moment."
Bayern will now compete in their third semifinal in four years, but it must do without Mandzukic in the first leg with the Croatia star set to serve a one-game ban.
Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon believes Bayern's extra experience was a key factor in the outcome of the tie.
He told Sky Sports: "The big difference between them and us is experience. I was even more impressed tonight than in Munich.
"In the first leg we did not give our all, but tonight we did and still there was nothing we could do. I think Bayern can win the Champions League."
