Barcelona scraped past Juventus in a tense Champions League round-of-16 tie decided on penalties, after the two legs ended in a 2-2 aggregate draw. The Catalans advance to the semi-finals through a nerve-shredding shootout.
In the return leg at Camp Nou, Barcelona trailed to a Vlahovic free-kick before Yamal levelled with a dazzling solo run in the 70th minute. Extra time could not separate the sides, leaving penalties to decide who progressed.
Spanish goalkeeper Inaki Pena was the hero of the shootout, saving two consecutive kicks from Martinez and Vlahovic, while Barcelona converted three of their four attempts to seal the semi-final berth.
Manager Xavi Hernandez described this as the most important qualification of his coaching career at Barcelona, adding that it teaches the young players how to hold firm in the darkest moments and channel pressure into fuel for victory.
In the semi-finals, Barcelona face Bayern Munich in a classic European showdown between the two clubs with the most Champions League titles in the competition's history — the most eagerly anticipated tie of this year's decisive phase.
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