Messi in PSG out, Juve vanishes in Bayern shadow- PHOTOS

FC Barcelona were made to sweat, but a goal from Pedro Rodriguez finally subdued Paris Saint-Germain FC and took them into a sixth consecutive UEFA Champions League semi-final – a tournament record.

Trailing to Javier Pastore's delightful breakaway strike early in the second half, the home side were forced to introduce Lionel Messi, still recovering from a thigh strain, from the bench. Nine minutes later the Argentinian had helped set up Pedro's thumping equaliser and Camp Nou could breathe again. Those two away goals in Paris had proved decisive.

Long before they took the lead PSG had exerted an increasingly steely grip, not only mustering the better chances but also playing the more alert, intelligent football. All night Carlo Ancelotti's team found space right down the middle of the pitch and, just like in the Parc des Princes last week, Sergio Busquets had a difficult night – less able than usual to conduct Barcelona's play.

The main beneficiary was the returning Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who consistently dropped deep and his use of the space he located was characteristically shrewd. One shining example was his superbly measured pass into the path of Ezequiel Lavezzi in the 23rd minute; with only Víctor Valdés to beat, the goalkeeper did extremely well to block.

Very shortly afterward the Swede transformed into a winger, delivering a perfect cross towards the back post. To Barcelona's great fortune it was Lucas outjumping Jordi Alba rather than one of PSG's taller players. Again Valdés produced the save.

Early on Xavi Hérnandez, Barça's captain for the night, had billowed the outside of Salvatore Sirigu's net with a free-kick. However, when the PSG keeper left the pitch at half-time he would not have been sweating and his palms were not stinging. He had almost been a spectator.

Possession and attacking verve, sure enough, brought PSG the advantage five minutes after the restart. Again Ibrahimovic was occupying a position in the middle of the park – the place to be in order to send your opponent scurrying left, right and centre.

His wall pass for Pastore was calibrated to the millisecond and the millimetre and the Argentinian strode on with confidence to direct a left-footed drive in off Valdés's outstretched leg. Moments later Pastore showed less composure, slicing a better chance wide.

Barcelona needed rescuing and Messi was the cavalry. Immediately the tempo picked up and his team-mates raised their game as the crowd roared. With 19 minutes remaining a little jinking run and pass from Messi let David Villa set the ball up sweetly for Pedro and the finish was unerring.

PSG thumped the ball forward relentlessly but their opportunity had gone. The clamour at the end from the Camp Nou crowd signified as much relief as jubilation.

Juventus vs Bayern

Second-half goals by Mario Mandžukic and Claudio Pizarro enabled FC Bayern München to defeat Juventus 2-0 for the second time in eight days and reach the UEFA Champions League semi-finals.

The German title winners dealt capably with the threat of a willing Juventus side in the first half, and soon after Arjen Robben struck a post in the second, Mandžukic headed in from close range on 64 minutes to end any prospect of an unlikely quarter-final comeback.

Pizarro's low strike in added time merely heightened the misery for Juventus, for whom this was a first reverse in Europe at their new stadium. The only downside for the victors was the first-half booking Mandžukcic received which rules him out of the semi-final first leg.

The Italian hosts pressed hard from the off but Mirko Vucinic's shot from a good position failed to trouble Manuel Neuer, while Claudio Marchisio missed the target from distance. Bayern were more dangerous with their first attack, Simone Padoin blocking a short-range effort by Mandžukic following Franck Ribéry's clever pass.

Andrea Pirlo did go close after 23 minutes with a powerful free-kick from the edge of the box, but Neuer was up to the task, getting two strong fists to the ball to beat it away. Soon after, Paul Pogba found space on the right yet none of his team-mates could apply the final touch to his dangerous low cross.

Ten minutes before the interval, visiting coach Jupp Heynckes lost Daniel Van Buyten to injury, replacing the centre-back with Jérôme Boateng. Bayern – who clinched the Bundesliga title with six games to spare last weekend – finished the opening half forcefully, David Alaba forcing Gianluigi Buffon into a difficult save with a powerful strike following a corner from the right.

Like the first period, Juventus started positively after the break and threatened when Fabio Quagliarella tried his luck with a strong right-footed shot after dribbling past Philipp Lahm. Just before the hour, though, Bayern went even closer. Ribéry, on the counterattack, found Mandžuki? on the edge of the area and the forward knocked the ball down to Robben, who hit the upright with a curling attempt.

Minutes later, however, the Juventus Stadium did fall silent. Bastian Schweinsteiger delivered a free-kick from the left and while Buffon made a superb stop to keep out Javi Martínez's volley, he could do nothing to prevent Mandžukic heading in the rebound.  

Thomas Müller could have added a swift second but missed the target after a pass by Robben. Instead, substitute Pizarro put the seal on Bayern's third semi-final qualification in four seasons with the last act of the match, taking a measured Schweinsteiger pass in his stride and firing across Buffon.