Special goals light up Nou Camp

Two special goals lit up the Nou Camp as Barcelona, aiming to reach the Champions League semifinals for the seventh year in a row, came-from-behind to secure a 1-1 draw. 

Substitute Diego fired an unstoppable bullet of a shot into the top corner of the net from 30 metres to open the scoring for La Liga leaders Atletico in the 56th minute. 

 

Barcelona got back in the encounter 15 minutes later when Andres Iniesta set-up Neymar, who made no mistake with a curling right-foot effort from a tight angle.

"We got a good result but the tie is still open," Atletico coach Diego Simeone told a news conference. "It was all down to enormous work from the team.

 

"It was a game of different styles and each team fights with the armoury they have. Barca played their usual way with a lot of possession, moving the ball around, one against ones.

"I like to play against Barca because you learn and you improve," said Simeone.

 

Atletico lost talismanic striker Diego Costa to injury early on but still had the better chances in the first half through Barca old boy David Villa. 

The Catalans will have to make do without their influential centre-bakc Gerard Pique for the return leg after he went off with a damaged hip. 

Barca captain Xavi believed Atletico were lucky to escape with a draw.

 

"We deserved to win," said Xavi. "We had more scoring chances but they worked very hard in defence and it was very difficult for us to find a way through."  

The return leg will be played next Wednesday.