Barcelona and Bayern Munich dominated from start to finish in front of their own fans to book their places in the Champions League semi-finals, dispatching Paris Saint-Germain and Porto respectively in emphatic fashion.
Neymar scored twice as Barcelona reached the Champions League semi-finals for the seventh time in the last eight seasons by comfortably beating Paris St Germain 2-0 to complete an emphatic 5-1 aggregate victory.
The Nou Camp crowd were brought to their feet for Neymar’s first goal as midfielder Andres Iniesta ran from his own half, skipping past three challenges, before delivering a perfect pass for the Brazilian, who rounded keeper Salvatore Sirigu and slid the ball home after 14 minutes.
PSG offered little resistance as Barca swept the ball around midfield and the Catalan side went further in front when Neymar headed home a curling cross from fullback Dani Alves after 34 minutes.
Barca eased off in the second half and were happy to hold on for a victory that keeps them on course to repeat their treble success of 2009.
«We did the same that we did in Paris, we came out and played our game and scored the goals we needed,» Neymar said in an interview with Spanish television broadcaster TVE.
«I think we are on good form, in the Champions League, in La Liga, everything and hopefully we can continue the same way.»
Bayern, meanwhile, destroyed Porto 6-1 to charge into the semi-finals 7-4 on aggregate and stay on track for a treble in Pep Guardiola’s 100th competitive game in charge.
The five-time European champions, who lost 3-1 in the first leg last week, showed no sign of nerves as they dismantled the hapless Portuguese with an impressive attacking display to book a fourth straight last four spot.
Reminiscent of Germany’s 7-1 World Cup semi-final demolition of Brazil last year, Bayern scored three times in 13 minutes through Thiago Alcantara, Jerome Boateng and Robert Lewandowski, to wipe out their quarter-final, first leg deficit.
Two more goals before the break from Lewandowski and Thomas Mueller, who became Germany’s record scorer in the competition with 27, and a late Xabi Alonso free-kick finished off Porto, who had Ivan Marcano sent off in the 87th for a second booking.
Source: Buenos Aires Herald