Griezmann sends Barcelona packing

HOLDERS Barcelona are out of the Champions League after Antoine Griezmann’s brace sent Atletico Madrid through to the semi-finals with a 2-0 quarter-final second-leg victory.

Griezmann headed home in the 36th minute and then struck a late penalty to give Diego Simone’s men – who were 2-1 down after the first leg – a famous 3-2 aggregate win, sending them to the last four of the Champions League for just the second time.

Barcelona, who have now lost three of their last four games in all competitions, piled on the pressure in the final 20 minutes, but were unable to make the breakthrough which would have sent the game to extra time.

Simeone’s men made all the early running and almost enjoyed the perfect start, but Gabi fired just over from the edge of the area.

Despite allowing their visitors to dominate the ball, Atletico never looked in trouble.

Their golden moment came nine minutes before the break as they went ahead on the night and in the tie overall by virtue of the goal they scored at the Nou Camp.

Saul was afforded far too much space on the right, but not as much Griezmann, who found himself unmarked at the near post and had no problem in powering home his header from his team-mate’s pin-point cross.

After the break, Luis Enrique’s side slowly upped the ante and began to camp in the final third but still found chances difficult to come by. Atletico relieved the pressure on them in the 88th minute when they grabbed a crucial second goal. Filipe Luis galloped clear and his ball to put Griezmann in on goal was cynically intercepted by Iniesta’s handball in the penalty area.

The Frenchman squeezed his spot-kick in to the bottom corner to make sure of Atletico’s victory on the night and in the tie overall.