Barcelona needed the help of their little genius to get past PSG, while Bayern just might be the best team left in the competition after dismantling Juventus with a degree of ease over two legs.
No matter the array of talents at your disposal, sometimes you need the best player in the world, fit or not fit, to come and bail you out.
Most observers, this one included, felt that Barcelona had done enough in the Parc des Princes to progress to the last four on account of their outstanding home record and the two away goals they had snatched in Paris, but that was far from how it materialised as for the second week in succession, PSG more than matched their more illustrious, if not necessarily more expensive, opponents.
Their approach might have been different had they played at the Nou Camp first, but PSG needed goals and they set out getting them from the off against a Barca defence that continues to look very shaky in the absence of Carles Puyol.
Lucas Moura, Zlatan and Ezequiel Lavezzi all had chances to open the visitors’ account before the break and Thiago Motta was proving a far more effective midfield shield than David Beckham last week on the former’s return to his old club.
Without Messi, meanwhile, Barcelona were lacking a focal point in attack with Cesc Fabregas struggling in the ‘false nine’ role that a lot of people have talked about but few seemed to have mastered since the term entered the football lexicon, or at least became significantly popular, since the Euros in the summer.
It was inevitable that Messi would be introduced sooner rather than later – he was visibly itching to get involved on the sideline although it looked like something else entirely on camera – and even more inevitable when PSG took a deserved lead through Javier Pastore not long after the break after a lovely exchange with Zlatan in the build-up.
On came Messi and even though he was evidently not quite 100 per cent, he instantly became Barcelona’s totem, while his introduction also led to PSG battening down the hatches to hold out for a 1-0 win.
As early as the 65th minute it seemed very unlikely that that was going to happen as Barca laid siege to the PSG goal and eventually got their reward with a goal that was a thing of beauty; Messi to Villa to Pedro to the back of the net via a fierce left-foot shot and Barca were back in business.
Barca might be the best team in the world to watch but they’re also the best team at running down the clock when needs be and it was not much of a surprise to see some of their players hitting the deck rather suspiciously between the equaliser and the finish, during which period the French side battled on but didn’t really look like scoring an unlikely winner.
Still, PSG did show that they are already a force to be reckoned with and with time – and probably a few more ultra-expensive signings – will develop into a better side than they are at present.
Barca, on the other hand, are chugging rather than motoring along at the moment, but with Messi around, anything’s possible.
Given the manner of all the other quarter-final victories, Bayern Munich laid their claim as the most impressive side left in the competition after completing a 4-0 aggregate victory over Juventus that doesn’t really flatter them if truth be told.
Juventus were obviously going to be better than they were in Munich, but barring a couple of efforts from Pirlo – which forced a great save from Neuer – and Quagriella, the Germans were fairly comfortable and put the tie to bed with Mandzukic’s close-range header midway through the second half.
Perhaps the most impressive thing about Bayern is the range of options as their disposal. Their defence is probably the least-talked about part of their side yet they managed to go 180 minutes without conceding against the Italian champions and have conceded only two away goals in the league all season.
Toni Kroos was out through injury last night but they were still able to field a midfield featuring Schweinsteiger, Javi Martinez, Ribery, Robben and Muller, while Claudio Pizarro and Mario Gomez have been kept in reserve with Mandzukic continuing to lead the line well up front.
On the evidence of the quarter-finals Bayern are the team to beat yet are still considered third favourites by the bookies, which, in fairness, is a testament to the quality of the semi-final line-up as opposed to any slight on Bayern’s abilities.
Bring it on.
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