Barcelona 4 Arsenal 1 (Agg: 6-3):Lionel Messi lived up to his billing as the best player in the world with four goals to end Arsenal's European dream in the Nou Camp. Messi netted a brilliant first-half hat-trick and added a late fourth to fire holders Barcelona past Arsenal into the last four of the Champions League.
If it was Barca's team play that ripped the Londoners to shreds in the first hour of last week's first leg, it was the sublime talent of Messi that propelled Pep Guardiola's side to a 6-3 aggregate victory and set up a last-four clash with Inter Milan.
Arsenal grabbed a shock lead through Nicklas Bendtner in the 18th minute but from then on it was all about Messi, the 22-year-old scoring goals of sheer class in the 21st, 37th and 42nd minutes to all but kill off the visitors' hopes.
With two minutes of normal time remaining, Messi completed his virtuoso display with a fourth after pouncing on a rebound to drill home low. The fourth took his tally in the competition to eight, putting him top of the scoring chart and added to the Fifa World Player of the Year's 26 La Liga goals this season.
Arsene Wenger’s injury-hit squad — without the likes of captain Cesc Fabregas, Andrey Arshavin and Alex Song — must now regroup and focus on overhauling Chelsea and Manchester United in the Barclays Premier League title race.
The visitors, playing in their white change kit, looked determined not to be overrun as they had during the opening exchanges of the first leg. Barcelona, however, created an couple of chances when Xavi, captain for the night in the absence of suspended Carles Puyol, flicked the ball wide before Messi fired an angled shot just over the bar in a sign of things to come.
The English side, though, snatched a shock lead on their first real chance after 18 minutes. Theo Walcott was put clear by Abou Diaby down the right, and he dashed into the Barca penalty area before squaring to Bendtner.
Victor Valdes made a good reaction save, but the in-form Denmark striker was quick to stab the rebound into the net and put the English team ahead in the tie for the first time.
The Gunners then wasted another chance of a breakaway, as Diaby pushed the ball left to Bendtner when Walcott was in space on the right. It proved a costly error as Barcelona went up the other end to equalise on 21 minutes.
Silvestre, in the side ahead of veteran Sol Campbell who was not fully fit, failed to clear the ball on the edge of the Arsenal penalty area — and Messi needed no second invitation, lashing his shot into the top right corner.
Arsenal were again punished by Messi for some poor defending as Barcelona went 2-1 ahead on 37 minutes. Eric Abidal crossed the ball into the Arsenal box from the right, which was cut out by Thomas Vermaelen. However, his team-mates were slow to react as Pedro knocked the loose ball out to Messi — and he smashed it past Almunia.
The Argentina international completed a stunning hat-trick four minutes before the break when he latched onto a header from Abidal to race clear before dispatching a brilliant chip over the Arsenal keeper.
Arsenal had little choice but to go forwards but that left the visitors exposed at the back.
The visitors nearly found away through when Diaby stabbed the ball to Bendtner just inside the Barcelona box, but the Denmark striker was hustle out of possession before he could shoot.
Then when left-back Gael Clichy broke and fed Bendtner, the home defence again got back in numbers to clear.
Messi’s clever quick free-kick released Pedro, but his angled chip was off target, before at the other end Bendtner’s header crashed against the post — but the offside flag was up.
Messi completed a fine night’s work with another well-taken goal three minutes from time as the holders marched on towards a mouth-watering semi-final clash against Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan.