Barcelona 1 Paris Saint-Germain 1

THE Golden Balls beat old Goldenballs.

Lionel Messi came off the bench to save Barcelona and deny David Beckham another night of Nou Camp glory.
Paris Saint-Germain stole a 50th-minute lead through Javier Pastore as both Beckham and a half-fit Messi started on the bench.
Yet the 37-year-old former England star had done a brilliant job as a cheerleader off the pitch PSGeeing up his team-mates.
‘Goldenballs’ had been using Manchester United’s glorious 1999 final win over Bayern Munich at the Nou Camp to inspire Carlo Ancelotti’s men.
Just when it seemed to be slipping away from the Catalans’ grasp, Messi came on with 28 minutes left.
The man with four FIFA Golden Balls on the trot was not fully fit after picking up a hamstring injury in the 2-2 first-leg draw at Parc des Princes last week. Eight minutes after coming on, the mesmerising Messi started the move that led to Pedro’s golden leveller that proved enough to see them into the last four.

TRYING TO GET ON TOP ... Zlatan Ibrahimovic rises for a header

And so last night Barca became the first team to reach SIX Champions League semi-finals on the bounce.
Cesc Fabregas started in place of Messi and injury-ravaged Barcelona hung on by the skin of their teeth in a first half where PSG had the better chances.
Beckham’s rabble-rousing talks in the Paris dressing room clearly worked.
For 70 minutes the French outfit came so close. Ancelotti’s side needed to score as they were trailing on away goals.
Ezequiel Lavezzi had the first chance for the visitors but he was denied by keeper Victor Valdes who rushed to thwart the Argentinian.
An Andres Iniesta lob sailed over after 12 minutes.
But PSG looked dangerous. Lucas Moura, PSG’s £36million January signing, went close by firing over after good work from Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
The Catalans needed at least one more goal to provide some security against a French smash and grab.
Barcelona always start out as hot faves but upon closer inspection this was never going to be easy.
Injuries to Carles Puyol and Javier Mascherano meant full-back Adriano was drafted in as Gerard Pique’s centre-half sidekick.
But even star-studded Barca were always going to miss the world’s greatest player in Messi.
Pedro fired into the side-netting before PSG had a superb opening on 24 minutes. But Lavezzi was denied by Valdes, who also thwarted Moura.
Barcelona, visibly shaken, lacked composure.
And their fears were realised five minutes after the restart.
Pastore picked up Ibrahimovic’s through ball and put the French outfit one up.

WE JAV THE LEAD ... Pastore puts PSG in front

If Beckham provided the inspiration off the pitch, Ibrahimovic did so on it. He played like a man possessed against his former club.
Then on 62 minutes Messi came on for Fabregas. The stadium erupted to acclaim their hero. Finally Barca exploded into action.
Alex blocked an Iniesta effort, while Salvatore Sirigu also denied the Spaniard.
But Messi jigged past two rivals and fed David Villa who set up Pedro to slam home the leveller after 71 minutes and restore Barca’s marginal advantage.
The tie was still on a knife-edge. With seven minutes left Becks came on for Marco Verratti and was greeted by a chorus of boos by Barca fans — not forgetting his four years at Real Madrid.
But he did not have the chance to provide any late inspiration — as his two corners did for Manchester United against Bayern Munich here at the Nou Camp in 1999.
And so the night belonged to Messi and his Barca side that squeezed through.