Barcelona vs. AC Milan: Blaugrana Dismiss Rossoneri, Advance to CL Semis

After a 0-0 draw in the first leg of Barcelona and AC Milan's Champions League quarterfinal draw, everything was left to be won in the second leg at the Nou Camp.

But in the end, Barcelona cruised to the semifinals after dominating the game from start to finish. There was no extended passage of play where an observer could have conceivably argued that Milan were in control.

Lionel Messi bracketed an AC Milan goal with a pair of converted first-half penalty kicks. And Andres Iniesta effectively finished the discussion early in the second to give his side the 3-1 match and aggregate victory.

Milan Set Out to Defend

For 30 minutes, AC Milan appeared uninterested in participating in the match in any meaningful way. Looking lethargic and frightened in defense, the Italians contented themselves with stacking eight or nine players across the top of their area.

It was not a promising strategy.

For all their dedication to bunkering in, Milan conceded early.

In the 10th minute, Messi caught Philippe Mexes in possession near midfield and raced in free on goal. Inexplicably, Messi passed up the shot and pulled the ball back to an arriving Xavi. The midfielder tried to move it on to Dani Alves and saw his pass deflected.

As the chance was dying a painful death, Messi got his body between the ball and Milan left-back Luca Antonini. Antonini slid in through the back of the Argentinian, and the referee whistled for the penalty.

Messi stepped to the mark and put his side ahead.

1-0 Barcelona.

Milan Counters Against All the Odds

Milan did not respond well to the Barca goal. If it was possible, they seemed to retreat further into their defensive shell. Barca had the freedom of the park, as the Italians looked to be dragging their feet through wet sand.

Then, in the very definition of the phrase "against the run of play," Milan equalized.

Seemingly out of nothing, Robinho had the ball on his feet in the Barca half. He found Zlatan Ibrahimovic at the top of the area. The big forward moved the ball on quickly to Antonio Nocerino, getting in on the right (and only onside because of a badly out-of-position Javier Mascherano).

Nocerino took a touch and then passed the ball smoothly inside Victor Valdes' far post.

1-1.

Another Penalty

Controversy erupted seven minutes later as Barcelona took a corner kick.

Milan defender Alessandro Nesta had firm hold of the jersey of Sergio Busquets as the kick was taken. The Barca man tried to break around an apparent pick from Carles Puyol. Nesta kept his hold on the jersey, and Busquets went down.

The referee blew for the clear (if rarely ever enforced) infraction.

Penalty Barcelona.

After a yellow card for Nesta, another for Clarence Seedorf and an eternity of protest from the Italians, Messi stepped up and converted his second penalty of the match.

2-1 Barcelona.

Barcelona Finally Break Through

As the second half began, Barcelona had enjoyed most of the ball, but gotten no breakthrough in open play.

Then, in the 53rd minute, Messi drove at the center of a retreating Milan defense. He pushed the ball to his left and unleashed a shot. It deflected off Mexes and dropped straight into the path of a fast closing Iniesta.

The diminutive No. 8 brought the ball down with his first touch and pushed it cleanly around Christian Abbiati to make the rest of Pep Guardiola's evening just a bit more comfortable.

3-1 Barcelona.

There was still more than a half-hour to play, but Milan's life had effectively been drained. The introduction of Pato in the 69th minute saw no change. Barcelona's removal of first Xavi, then Pique and Fabregas, made no difference.

The lethargy with which Milan had begun the game had turned to resignation, and the final 30 minutes saw little to worry Catalan fans.

The final whistle went, and Barcelona advanced to the Champions League semifinals. They will face the winner of the quarterfinal between Chelsea and Benfica.