Barcelona edges Man City 1-0, heads to Champions League quarters
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Lionel Messi set up Ivan Rakitic to lead Barcelona to a 1-0 win over Manchester City and a place in the Champions League quarterfinals for a record eighth consecutive season on Wednesday.
Watch: Lionel Messi sets up Ivan Rakitic goal for Barcelona
Facing the task of overturning a 2-1 first-leg loss, Manuel Pellegrini's City needed an inspired showing from goalkeeper Joe Hart just to avoid a thrashing as Messi and Neymar ran amok at Camp Nou.
City's only chance of a lifeline came with a penalty in the 78th minute, but Barcelona keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen saved Sergio Aguero's spot-kick.
Messi passed for Rakitic to score in the 31st-minute of a lopsided first half that saw Neymar and Luis Suarez hit the woodwork for the home side, while a rattled City racked up four bookings to one shot on goal.
