Griezmann Sends Barcelona Crashing Out

 

Barcelona's season unravelled further in controversial fashion after the holders were knocked out of the Champions League by Atletico Madrid on Wednesday, with Antoine Griezmann's double securing passage to the semi-finals with 2-0 win at the Vicente Calderon.

Heading into stoppage time and searching for the goal that would have forced an extra 30 minutes, Barca were incensed not to receive a penalty when Andres Iniesta's shot struck the arm of Atletico captain Gabi just inside the box, with the referee instead awarding a free-kick which Lionel Messi hit over. Luis Enrique's men had led 2-1 from the first leg but ultimately failed to cope with the intensity of an Atletico side who are also just three points behind them in La Liga and will be buoyed by this scalp as they seek to heap added misery on to their Catalan counterparts domestically.

Barcelona's willingness to sit on that slender first-leg lead led to a cagey and tense first half-hour, but Atletico broke through with 36 minutes on the clock, as Griezmann nodded in to spark wild celebrations. Dogged Atletico held firm for the remainder of the half and went desperately close to a second soon after the break, but Lucas Hernandez's header was kept out by the crossbar. Atletico were forced to withstand significant pressure during the final stages, but Diego Simeone's men held on in typical fashion and then netted a second on the break as Iniesta's handball allowed Griezmann to convert from the spot with two minutes remaining.

Barca threw everything at Atletico in desperate fashion for the final 10 minutes, but it was the home side who were left jubilant. A marvellous Filipe Luis breakaway left Iniesta as the last man and the midfielder handled in the penalty area, with Griezmann squeezing the spot-kick just beyond Ter Stegen diving low to his left. Barca should have been presented with the chance to force extra-time, but luck was on Atletico's side as the holders were dumped out.

Vidal And Muller Send Pep's Side Through

Bayern Munich had Arturo Vidal and Thomas Muller to thank as they fought to a 2-2 draw with Benfica, a result which was enough to send them through to the Champions League semi-final.  Vidal had scored the winner when the sides met in Munich last week and was on hand to cancel out Raul Jimenez's opener during the first half of a 2-2 draw in Lisbon on Wednesday.

Vidal's powerful leveller provided Pep Guardiola's men with a healthy cushion to defend, leaving Benfica needing two goals by the end of 90 minutes to progress. Thomas Muller put the match to bed after the break, with his goal effectively ending home hopes of a maiden last-four appearance of the Champions League era.

Talisca scored from a 76th-minute free-kick to reduce the deficit, but the damage had already been done, with Bayern now facing the possibility of a clash with Manchester City in the last four.  Benfica could easily have been two up three minutes later, but Jimenez prodded straight at Neuer from the centre of the box. 

Ederson's blushes were spared when his spillage from a Vidal strike resulted in a corner rather than another Bayern goal after 72 minutes, but Martinez was lucky to escape with a yellow card when he brought down a sprinting Goncalo Guedes on the edge of the box. Talisca curled home the resulting free-kick and almost repeated the trick soon after, but Benfica still needed two goals to progress – a mountain that proved too big to climb