Messi magic sinks Madrid

MADRID (AP):

Lionel Messi lit up an ill-tempered Champions League semi-final yesterday with two goals in the last 15 minutes to give Barcelona a 2-0 victory at Real Madrid, who ended with 10 men.

Messi guided substitute Ibrahim Afellay's cross through the legs of goalkeeper Iker Casillas to open the scoring in the 76th minute.

With three minutes to play, the elusive Argentina forward brilliantly ghosted past three defenders before clipping the ball past Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas for his 52nd goal of the season and 11th in the Champions League.

Barcelona dominated throughout, but only managed to break through after Pepe was red-carded in the 61st at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

Madrid coach Jose Mourinhowas sent to the stands for protesting the decision, which left Madrid playing with 10 against Barcelona for the fourth straight game.

Mourinho has seen his team finish with 10 players in his last five matches against Barcelona, counting Inter Milan's 1-0 defeat at Barcelona in the semi-final return leg last year.

"If I say to (the referee) and to UEFA what I think and feel, my career ends today," Mourinho said. "One day I hope to get an answer to the question: why?"

It was Barcelona's first win in three games between the bitter rivals in 12 days after a 1-1 league draw and a 1-0 extra-time Copa del Rey final defeat.

Madrid's defence in Tuesday's return leg will be short-handed with Pepe and Sergio Ramos both suspended. Ramos was booked for a foul on Messi in the 53rd.

Mourinho described the second leg in Barcelona as "mission impossible", as he continued to bemoan his side's treatment by the referee.

"We'll go there with pride, without Pepe who did nothing, without Ramos who did nothing and the coach who can't be on the bench," he said. "If we score a goal they'll kill us again. It's a result that is impossible.

"Today showed we have no possibility. And my question is why? I'll live my whole life with this question, but I hope one day to get the answer. Why in a game that was equal did he do what he did? But he won't answer, he'll go home because he doesn't have to answer to anyone."

Counterpart Pep Guardiola refused to respond to Mourinho's comments, preferring to congratulate his team's performance.

"A team that has nine European Cups never gives up on a series, I'm convinced of that," Guardiola said. "We played a very good game. We controlled their counter-attacks, their aerial game which is very dangerous."