<p>If it was Barca's team play that ripped Arsenal to shreds in the first hour of last week's first leg, which ended 2-2, it was Messi's sublime talent that propelled Pep Guardiola's side to a 6-3 aggregate victory and set up a clash with Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan. <br />The Londoners nosed ahead through Nicklas Bendtner in the 18th minute but from then on it was all about Messi, who produced goals of sheer class in the 21st, 37th and 42nd minutes to all but kill off the visitors' hopes. <br /><br />With two minutes of regular time remaining, the 22-year-old completed his virtuoso display after pouncing on a rebound to drill the ball through the legs of Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia. <br /><br />"We started badly but ended in spectacular fashion," a euphoric Messi told Spanish television. "I am very pleased but the important thing is that the team keeps winning." <br />Barca seized early control of possession at a packed Nou Camp and Messi tested Almunia with a fierce drive in the fourth minute and sent a curling strike whistling just over the crossbar shortly after. <br /><br />It was a sign of things to come but the visitors silenced the home fans with a breakaway goal. <br /><br />Abou Diaby robbed Gabriel Milito in midfield and as the Barca players appealed for a foul Theo Walcott raced clear on the right and set Dane Bendtner up to score at the second attempt past Victor Valdes. <br /><br />The goal seemed to fire Barca into action and they were level within three minutes when Messi picked up a loose ball on the edge of the area and lashed a shot through a crowd of defenders into the top corner. <br /><br />He made no mistake with a cool finish high into the net from close range after Pedro's smart layoff to put Barca ahead on the night and his third goal shortly after was the pick of the four. <br /><br />Seydou Keita nodded the ball into his path, catching the Arsenal defence flatfooted, and as Almunia advanced to meet him Messi scooped the ball over the Spaniard and into the empty net. <br /><br />Arsenal made a better fist of things in the second half, enjoying more of the ball in the central areas, but rarely threatened the Barca goal.<br /><br />As Arsenal tired, Messi struck again in the 88th, twisting one way and another through the defence before beating Almunia for a fourth time. <br /><br />"Yes yes yes - we're going to Madrid!" roared the fans in reference both to May's final at the Bernabeu stadium of Barca's arch rivals Real and Saturday's La Liga match between the pair in the Spanish capital. <br /><br />As the ecstatic Barca faithful drifted away, the disconsolate visiting supporters were left to chew over the result high up in the top tier of the huge arena. <br /><br />Barca remain on course for a third final appearance in five years after their triumphs in 2006 and 2009 and will take on former Barca assistant coach Mourinho in the next round.<br /> <br />Inter through<br /><br />Dutch playmaker Wesley Sneijder propelled Inter Milan to their first Champions League semifinal since 2003 with an early goal that secured a 1-0 victory over CSKA Moscow.<br />Sneijder fired the Italians ahead less than six minutes into the game when his low 20-metre free kick skidded under CSKA's defensive wall and evaded goalkeeper Igor Akinfeyev. <br /><br />With Inter holding a 1-0 lead from the first leg, Sneijder's goal all but killed the home team's chances as the Italian champions held firm for a comfortable 2-0 win on aggregate. <br /><br />CSKA's Nigerian defender Chidi Odiah was sent off in the 49th minute after he picked up his second yellow card after a foul on Samuel Eto'o. <br /><br />Asked if the game plan was to strike early, Inter coach Jose Mourinho said: "The plan was to score before them. "In the first leg we had 10 shots before scoring, today we scored on our first shot and the tie is in the pocket. After that, the game was easy to control," Mourinho added. <br /><br />After a nervous opening, the Russians finally got into the game and Czech forward Tomas Necid had the first real opportunity for the hosts midway through the first half but his low strike from the edge of the box just missed the far post. <br /><br />With CSKA having to score three times to progress, their chances all but disappeared after they were reduced to 10 men early in the second half and the game soon lost its intensity. The match was played amid high security after 40 people were killed in last week's two bomb blasts in the Moscow metro.</p>
<p>If it was Barca's team play that ripped Arsenal to shreds in the first hour of last week's first leg, which ended 2-2, it was Messi's sublime talent that propelled Pep Guardiola's side to a 6-3 aggregate victory and set up a clash with Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan. <br />The Londoners nosed ahead through Nicklas Bendtner in the 18th minute but from then on it was all about Messi, who produced goals of sheer class in the 21st, 37th and 42nd minutes to all but kill off the visitors' hopes. <br /><br />With two minutes of regular time remaining, the 22-year-old completed his virtuoso display after pouncing on a rebound to drill the ball through the legs of Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia. <br /><br />"We started badly but ended in spectacular fashion," a euphoric Messi told Spanish television. "I am very pleased but the important thing is that the team keeps winning." <br />Barca seized early control of possession at a packed Nou Camp and Messi tested Almunia with a fierce drive in the fourth minute and sent a curling strike whistling just over the crossbar shortly after. <br /><br />It was a sign of things to come but the visitors silenced the home fans with a breakaway goal. <br /><br />Abou Diaby robbed Gabriel Milito in midfield and as the Barca players appealed for a foul Theo Walcott raced clear on the right and set Dane Bendtner up to score at the second attempt past Victor Valdes. <br /><br />The goal seemed to fire Barca into action and they were level within three minutes when Messi picked up a loose ball on the edge of the area and lashed a shot through a crowd of defenders into the top corner. <br /><br />He made no mistake with a cool finish high into the net from close range after Pedro's smart layoff to put Barca ahead on the night and his third goal shortly after was the pick of the four. <br /><br />Seydou Keita nodded the ball into his path, catching the Arsenal defence flatfooted, and as Almunia advanced to meet him Messi scooped the ball over the Spaniard and into the empty net. <br /><br />Arsenal made a better fist of things in the second half, enjoying more of the ball in the central areas, but rarely threatened the Barca goal.<br /><br />As Arsenal tired, Messi struck again in the 88th, twisting one way and another through the defence before beating Almunia for a fourth time. <br /><br />"Yes yes yes - we're going to Madrid!" roared the fans in reference both to May's final at the Bernabeu stadium of Barca's arch rivals Real and Saturday's La Liga match between the pair in the Spanish capital. <br /><br />As the ecstatic Barca faithful drifted away, the disconsolate visiting supporters were left to chew over the result high up in the top tier of the huge arena. <br /><br />Barca remain on course for a third final appearance in five years after their triumphs in 2006 and 2009 and will take on former Barca assistant coach Mourinho in the next round.<br /> <br />Inter through<br /><br />Dutch playmaker Wesley Sneijder propelled Inter Milan to their first Champions League semifinal since 2003 with an early goal that secured a 1-0 victory over CSKA Moscow.<br />Sneijder fired the Italians ahead less than six minutes into the game when his low 20-metre free kick skidded under CSKA's defensive wall and evaded goalkeeper Igor Akinfeyev. <br /><br />With Inter holding a 1-0 lead from the first leg, Sneijder's goal all but killed the home team's chances as the Italian champions held firm for a comfortable 2-0 win on aggregate. <br /><br />CSKA's Nigerian defender Chidi Odiah was sent off in the 49th minute after he picked up his second yellow card after a foul on Samuel Eto'o. <br /><br />Asked if the game plan was to strike early, Inter coach Jose Mourinho said: "The plan was to score before them. "In the first leg we had 10 shots before scoring, today we scored on our first shot and the tie is in the pocket. After that, the game was easy to control," Mourinho added. <br /><br />After a nervous opening, the Russians finally got into the game and Czech forward Tomas Necid had the first real opportunity for the hosts midway through the first half but his low strike from the edge of the box just missed the far post. <br /><br />With CSKA having to score three times to progress, their chances all but disappeared after they were reduced to 10 men early in the second half and the game soon lost its intensity. The match was played amid high security after 40 people were killed in last week's two bomb blasts in the Moscow metro.</p>
