Barca’s star duo gun down Benfica

Barcelona 2 Benfica 0 (Agg: 2-0)

The FIFA World Player of the Year missed from the spot in the fourth minute but gave his side a 1-0 lead against Benfica following last week’s goalless first leg in Lisbon.

And Samuel Eto’o made it 2-0 on aggregate, with a late second, to crush Benfica’s hopes of an away-goal winner.

Barcelona were given a golden opportunity to finally edge in front, less than four minutes into the match, when Mark van Bommel’s cross hit Petit’s arm and referee Lubos Michel awarded a penalty.

Ronaldinho stepped up and struck towards the left of the goal, but Marcelo Moretto continued his heroics from the first leg, in Lisbon, with an excellent parried save.

In the 19th minute, however, Ronaldinho made up for his penalty miss by giving Barca the lead.

Eto’o robbed Leo of the ball and after a one-two with Henrik Larsson, broke into the box on the right.

The Cameroon striker pulled the ball back across goal to set up a simple strike for Ronaldinho who swept the ball home before wheeling away in delight.

Barca were denied a second penalty, in the 23rd minute, when the ball struck Luisao’s arm on the edge of the box. Referee Michel judged the offence had occurred outside the box, though, and Ronaldinho’s resulting free-kick went wide.

Benfica captain Simao should have levelled - and put his side ahead on away goals - in the 61st minute.

Fabrizio Miccoli picked the former Barca winger out perfectly with a chipped ball from the right but Simao, in space inside the area, failed to even test Victor Valdes.

The ball then fell kindly to Ronaldinho but he failed to get a shot off and his pass towards the centre of the box eluded Eto’o and Larsson.

Giorgos Karagounis’ long-range drive, from a free-kick, forced a save from Valdes, who could only parry before his defence managed to clear the danger.

Ronaldinho collected the ball from deep and managed to sweep it to Juliano Belletti on the right.

The full-back lofted it over to Eto’o in the centre, who controlled it before blasting it past Moretto to seal a semi-final date with AC Milan with two minutes remaining.

BARCELONA: Valdes, Van Bronckhorst, Oleguer, Puyol, Belletti, Deco, Iniesta, Van Bommel (Edmilson 84), Ronaldinho, Eto’o, Larsson (Giuly 86).

BENFICA: Moretto, Ricardo Rocha, Luisao, Anderson, Leo, Beto (Robert 72), Petit, Manuel (Marcel 82), Geovanni (Karagounis 55), Miccoli, Simao.

Referee: Lubos Michel (Slovakia).