Brilliant Barca get helping hand

BARCELONA are the best side in the world by some distance, and possess its most exciting and devastating player in Lionel Messi, but even the greatest can occasionally do with some assistance from the referee.

Arsenal entered the final half-hour of this compelling Champions League last 16 tie knowing that they had the upper hand over their Catalan hosts having joyously celebrated Sergio Busquets’ header into his own net to retake the lead on aggregate after Cesc Fabregas’ woeful backheel had allowed Messi to open the scoring.

Indeed, they had responded well to Lionel Messi’s stunning finish and when Robin Van Persie went clean through he thought he could tilt the tie decisively in his side’s favour. He shot wide, but that pain was nothing as to when he turned to see referee Massimo Busacca reaching for a second yellow card believing that, as the Dutchman had been flagged offside, he should have heard his whistle and returned the ball instead of wasting time.

It was, considering the noise of a near 100,000 crowd, a ridiculous decision, and ensured Arsenal remained camped in their own half for the remainder of the game.

Van Persie was understandably furious and labelled the decision “a total joke”.

Van Persie said: “I think it’s a total joke — how can I hear this whistle with 95,000 people jumping up (and shouting)?”

Just a second elapsed between Busacca blowing his whistle and Van Persie striking the ball, and the latter continued: “That makes it even worse. I cannot understand that view from the ref.

“I tried to explain there were 95,000 people jumping up, how can I hear the whistle?

“He’s been bad all evening, whistling against us. I don’t know why he’s here tonight.

“We feel betrayed a bit, when it was 1-1 it was all to play for and in my opinion this referee killed the game.”

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger was equally furious about Van Persie’s, stating: “With the people shouting, if he takes his chance I see no reason to give a second yellow card. To do that, (the referee) must absolutely have never played football. I told him what I think about his decision face to face and there is not a lot more to say.”

Arsenal were never likely to survive Van Persie’s dismissal, and they didn’t. The manner of their downfall was fitting as Barcelona scored a stunning through Xavi to level things up on aggregate, before Messi added a penalty to add to his four-goal haul in the same game of last season.

It was cruel on Arsenal, although it must be said that the better team went through.

The inevitable furore over the Van Persie decision should not disguise the fact that in Messi Barcelona have the world’s greatest player, and one who ultimately made the difference here. The finish for his first, where he flicked the ball over substitute keeper Manuel Almunia before lashing home, was sublime.

Ironically, before the game all the attention had focussed on Van Persie’s return to fitness after a knee injury, but as the game kicked off it was all the visitors could do to live with Barcelona’s passing.

And Arsenal were dealt a serious blow after 15 minutes when goalkeeper Wojciech Szczensy was forced to go off after hurting his left hand saving a free-kick from Daniel Alves. The Pole was replaced by Almunia, who had conceded seven goals in 250 minutes of football against Barcelona, although he was outstanding here.

Yet for much of the half the visiting defence did well to protect their error-prone stopper, before Van Persie was booked for a challenge on Daniel Alves as tempers frayed.

And when the football resumed Barcelona immediately had the best chance of the game — only for Messi to miss it. A swift break saw the ball transferred on to the Argentinian, and he jinked past Gael Clichy and Johan Djourou only to shoot weakly at Almunia.

There was to be no mistake when he was presented with a better chance in injury-time. The goal was Fabregas’ fault, as he casually backheeled the ball to Iniesta, but the rest was pure genius as the World Cup winner flicked the ball to Messi, whose finish was audacious and sublime.

But from the start of the second-half Arsenal began to push forward in numbers, and they were rewarded when Tomas Rosicky sent in a cross and Diaby distracted three defenders as the ball hit Sergio Busquets and bounced into the net.

Yet their joy was short-lived as Busacca made his mark on the game and dismissed Van Persie.

And with 22 minutes to go the dam was broken. It was simply quite stunning interplay between Xavi and Iniesta, who played a wonderful one-two, before the former was played in behind the Arsenal defence to face Almunia and slot home. Within two minutes Messi put Barcelona in front after Laurent Koscielny had fouled Pedro in the area, and that seemed to be that. Yet with five minutes left Jack Wilshere, who had again been superb, played Nicklas Bendtner into space with just Victor Valdes to beat. The Dane miscontrolled the ball, and with him went Arsenal’s chances as Wenger was left fuming.

Subs for Barcelona: Afellay for Villa 82, Keita for Mascherano 88, Maxwell form Adriano

Subs for Arsenal: Almunia for Szczesny 19, Arshavin for Rosicky 74, Bendtner for Fabregas 78.

Referee: Massimo Busacca