It was another disappointing night for Arsenal fans as they failed to hold on to their 2 – 1 lead from the first leg and were knocked out of the Champions League by Barcelona in the Nou Camp.
The match started in predictable fashion, with the hosts dominating possession. Arsenal came out very defensively and for much of the first half seemed like they might be able to frustrate the Spaniards, only for Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi to combine just before the break, the latter finishing superbly to score the opener.
Arsenal began the second half in ideal fashion, when Barcelona defender Sergio Busquets headed into his own goal to give them the lead on aggregate. The main talking point followed shortly after though, as Gunners striker Robin Van Persie was given a second yellow card in extremely harsh fashion when he shot after being ruled offside.
A man down, Arsenal were unable to keep their opponents at bay. Iniesta was at work again to set up Xavi for their second, and then Lionel Messi converted a penalty which put them out of reach and through to the quarter-finals with a 3 – 1 victory.
They undoubtedly deserved their win, having shown far more quality and technique, but the referee’s performance will leave Arsenal feeling unfortunate.
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