Messi misses penalty as Barca crash out to PSG
Lionel Messi scored one gorgeous goal but had a penalty saved as Barcelona failed within their attempt to produce a second Champions League comeback for the ages against Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday, a 1-1 draw taking the French side to the quarter-finals 5-2 on aggregate.
Kylian Mbappe netted a hat-trick as PSG stunned Barca 4-1 in the first leg last month, and he extended their advantage in this last-16 tie by netting a first-half penalty in the next leg to put last season's runners-up ahead on the night time.
But Messi made it 1-1 with a ferocious strike from 30 metres and the Argentine had the opportunity to put the visitors ahead after Antoine Griezmann was fouled in the region, only for the outstanding Keylor Navas to tip his spot-kick onto the bar.
Barcelona certainly went for it, but there was to be no repeat of their infamous recovery against the same opponents four years back, when they lost the first leg 4-0 but triumphed 6-1 in the return.
It is the first-time they have gone out prior to the quarter-finals since 2007 and, after Juventus were knocked out on Tuesday, neither Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo will feature in the last eight for the very first time since 2005.
Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman can nevertheless be encouraged by the way his team played on a cold, wet and windy night at a clear Parc des Princes.
"We are out, and that's what counts inside our sport, but we are able to feel good about any of it because we had chances to create life problematic for our opponents," Koeman told Movistar Plus.
"We deserved more, and things might have been different had it been 2-1 at half-time."
Barcelona have already been a club in crisis for some time but they have a new president in Joan Laporta, who will desire to restore calm at boardroom level, and they can still desire to finish the growing season strongly domestically.
Meanwhile PSG are safely through to the quarter-finals as they turn to go one better than last season and win the Champions League for the very first time.
They'll feel this tie marks another step of progress in their quest to become Europe's dominant force, after three defeats at Barcelona's hands in knockout ties because the Qatar Sports Investments takeover of a decade ago.
- Mbappe's tie, Navas' night -
Victory was achieved despite Neymar missing both legs because of injury, with Mbappe providing enough stardust by himself.
Yet after smoking cigarettes the first leg, the French World Cup winner found the going tougher in the return, and coach Mauricio Pochettino will face some questions about his side's approach.
"We are in the quarter-finals and we are incredibly happy," he told RMC Sport, adding: "Sometimes in football you should be prepared to suffer."
There have been jitters, with Barcelona dominating almost from the first minute and squandering chance after chance in the opening half-hour.
Poor decision-making from Ousmane Dembele didn't help the away side, although he also saw one ball over the face of goal just escape the outstretched leg of Messi.
As an impromptu fireworks display broke out just outside the stadium, Navas then produced his first excellent save midway through the first half when he turned Sergino Dest's shot onto the woodwork, and it had been against the run of play that PSG went ahead.
Clement Lenglet caught the heel of Mauro Icardi in the area in the 28th minute, a foul that was almost invisible on first viewing but was confirmed by English referee Anthony Taylor after a VAR review.
Mbappe scored from the location for his fourth goal in the tie and his 26th of the growing season.
Barcelona kept coming though, and Messi equalised with a go from range that was like a tracer bullet that whistled in to the top corner, not the sort of goal he scores often.
It had been his 25th this year, and he could have scored again in first-half stoppage time as Layvin Kurzawa was penalised for catching Griezmann in the box.
However, Messi was denied by Navas, the former Real Madrid goalkeeper dousing Barcelona's hopes as he continued to do in the next half.
"Navas had an excellent game. He is a world-class goalkeeper and you saw that tonight," said Pochettino.
