Lionel Messi netted a brilliant first-half hat-trick and added a late fourth to fire holders Barcelona past Arsenal into the last four of the Champions League last night.
If it was Barca's team play that ripped the Londoners to shreds in the first hour of last week's first leg, it was the sublime talent of the Argentina international that propelled Pep Guardiola's side to a 6-3 aggregate victory and set up a last-four clash with Inter.
The Italian champions reached their first Champions League semi-final in seven years after they beat CSKA Moscow 1-0 in Russia to complete a 2-0 aggregate win.
At the Nou Camp, Arsenal grabbed a shock lead through Nicklas Bendtner in the 18th minute but from then on it was all about Messi, the 22-year-old scoring goals of sheer class in the 21st, 37th and 42nd minutes to all but kill off the visitors' hopes.
With two minutes of normal time remaining, Messi completed his virtuoso display with a fourth after pouncing on a rebound to drill the ball low through the legs of Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia.
The fourth took Messi's tally in the competition to eight, putting him top of the scoring chart, and added to the FIFA World Player of the Year's 26 La Liga goals this season.
"We started badly but ended in spectacular fashion," a euphoric Messi told Spanish television. "I am very pleased but the important thing is that the team keeps winning."
Barca seized early control of possession at a packed Nou Camp and Messi tested Almunia with a fierce drive in the fourth minute.
It was a sign of what was to come but the visitors silenced the home fans in the 18th minute with a breakaway goal.
Abou Diaby robbed Gabriel Milito in midfield and as the Barca players appealed for a foul Theo Walcott raced clear on the right and set Dane Bendtner up to score at the second attempt past Victor Valdes.
The goal seemed to fire Barca into action and they were level within three minutes when Messi picked up a loose ball on the edge of the area and lashed a shot into the top corner.
He made no mistake with a cool finish high into the net from close range to put Barca ahead on the night and his third goal shortly after was the pick of the four.
Seydou Keita nodded the ball into his path, catching the Arsenal defence flatfooted, and as Almunia advanced to meet him Messi scooped the ball over the Spaniard and into the empty net.
As Arsenal tired, Messi struck again in the 88th minute, twisting one way and another through a crowd of defenders before beating Almunia for a fourth time.
Wesley Sneijder propelled Inter to their first Champions League semi-final since 2003 when his early goal gave the Serie A side a 1-0 victory in Moscow.
The in-form playmaker fired the visitors ahead less than six minutes into the game when his low 20-metre free-kick skidded under CSKA's defensive wall and evaded goalkeeper Igor Akinfeyev.
With Inter holding a 1-0 lead from the first leg, Sneijder's goal all but killed the home team's chances as the Italian champions held firm for a comfortable 2-0 win on aggregate.
CSKA's Nigerian defender Chidi Odiah was sent off in the 49th minute after he picked up his second yellow card after a foul on Samuel Eto'o.
Asked if the game plan was to strike early, Inter coach Jose Mourinho said: "The plan was to score before them.
"In the first leg we had 10 shots before scoring, today we scored on our first shot and the tie is in the pocket," he added.