LONDON, March 31, (AFP): Arsenal came off the ropes to secure a 2-2 draw with Barcelona that kept their Champions League dream alive in the most unlikely fashion on an exhilarating night at the Emirates.
Having completely outclassed their hosts for much of the first half, the defending champions appeared to be cruising into the last four after two goals from Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the early stages of the second period.
But Theo Walcott’s strike and a late penalty from Cesc Fabregas set the stage for a tension-filled second act in the Nou Camp next week.
Barca will be without both their first-choice centrebacks for the return leg with Gerard Pique, who was booked here, and Carles Puyol, who was sent off for the foul on Fabregas that led to Arsenal’s equaliser, both ruled out by suspension.
Arsenal will scarcely be in better shape however with Fabregas also suspended after picking up a booking here and William Gallas and Andrey Arshavin both forced off with injuries.
From the outset it was clear that Lionel Messi, Xavi and co. regarded the wide spaces and immaculate surface of the Emirates as an invitation to party.
For more than 20 minutes, the home side was restricted to the exhausting pursuit of shadows that is more commonly the lot of visitors to north London.
That Arsenal survived the torrid opening unscathed was largely down to Manuel Almunia, who threw himself full length to deny Sergio Busquets, deflected a Messi effort over the bar with his legs and then pushed out a strong left-hand to deny Ibrahimovic, blocking Xavi’s follow-up for good measure.
Profligacy also contributed to the lack of a breakthrough, notably from Ibrahimovic, who lifted a sixth minute chance over the the bar from the edge of the six-yard box and then found the side netting after Thomas Vermaelen’s slip had allowed him to run clear of Arsenal’s back four.
Arsenal conjured up their first moment of menace in the 23rd minute, Samir Nasri sidestepping Daniel Alves on the corner of the penalty area before curling a shot narrowly beyond the far post with Victor Valdes, the Barca goalkeeper, struggling to cover.
There was also a reminder of Barcelona’s vulnerability in the air when Nicklas Bendtner got free on the right and sent in a cross that Abou Diaby, having outjumped Gerard Pique, nodded wide.
There was a palpable sense of relief among the home supporters that their team reached the interval on level terms.
Within 30 seconds of the restart however, Barcelona were in front thanks to a Pique punt that caught both Alex Song, who had been redeployed to centreback following the exit of Gallas, and Almunia badly out of position.
Allowed a free run through the inside right channel, Ibrahimovic had his mind made up for him by Almunia’s charge off his line and duly lifted the ball over the goalkeeper.
Only a superb stop from Valdes prevented Bendtner from heading Arsenal back into the contest after a fine cutback from Gael Clichy.
But it was no surprise when Barca extended their lead shortly afterwards. Xavi was the instigator, clipping a delicate through ball into the area and Ibrahimovic produced an emphatic finish to beat Almunia at his near post.
Wenger’s response was to throw Walcott into the fray and the England winger’s introduction yielded an almost immediate result that will have been noted by the watching Fabio Capello.
Typically neat build-up work culminated in Bendtner playing Walcott in behind Puyol and the winger’s shot managed to slither under Valdes’s dive.
Arsenal had secured a lifeline and they took a firmer grip on it with five minutes left after Fabregas, attempting to latch on to a Bendtner knockdown, was impedged by Puyol.
In Milan, Inter Milan will take a slender lead to the Luzhniki Stadium next Tuesday after beating CSKA Moscow 1-0 at the San Siro on Wednesday in the first leg of their quarter-final.
‘Il Principe’ Diego Milito scored the only goal of the game during an Inter siege in the second half after a thoroughly forgettable first 45 minutes.
Jose Mourinho’s team, listless in the first period, were unrecognisable after the break and will be disappointed to have managed only the one goal.
That it stayed 1-0 was thanks largely to goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev, a reported target for Manchester United who will have bolstered his burgeoning reputation with this performance.
In the first quarter of an hour there was little to get excited about although Wesley Sneijder made sure Akinfeev was awake from a free-kick and then Sergei Ignashevich returned the compliment for Julio Cesar.
The first real opportunity came on 22 minutes as Goran Pandev hit a rising shot from almost 25 yards that sailed just over the bar.
Moments later Japan star Keisuke Honda teed up Milos Krasic in a great shooting position inside the box but the Serbian midfielder shanked his effort miles off target.
Nine minutes before the break Samuel Eto’o jinked into the CSKA area but his shot hit Esteban Cambiasso, who was in an offside position, and that really summed up a disjointed and dire first half.
Mourinho must have said something to his players at half-time because Inter finally got going an hour in after a dreadful clearance from CSKA fell straight to Cambiasso 25 yards out and he fed the marauding Dejan Stankovic - but the Serbian got the ball caught between his feet and his poked finish was straight at Akinfeev.
The hosts were playing with more urgency and intensity and Pandev brought a flying one-handed save out of Akinfeev with a curling shot while the goalkeeper then plunged low to his right to hold onto an Eto’o effort.
The sudden surge of pressure told on 65 minutes as Sneijder passed to Milito, who found the bottom right hand corner from the edge of the area.
Next up it was the turn of veteran centre-half Marco Materazzi to head over from a free-kick.
Inter were now rampant and Pandev played a one-two with Milito before rounding Akinfeev but Aleksei Berezutski got back to hack his shot off the line on 71 minutes.
Sneijder had a golden opportunity to double the lead on 84 minutes as Eto’o found him free on the left hand side of the area but instead of shooting left footed he pulled the ball back onto his right and then fired it wide of the near post.
Two minutes later and Akinfeev was a double hero punching away a rifled effort from Cambiasso and then deflecting a rocket from Stankovic over the bar.