Barcelona 2-1 Manchester City (4-1 agg): Messi magic downs Blues
A ten-man Manchester City huffed and puffed but it was all in vain as Barcelona's second-half goal from Lionel Messi struck down any hopes of a dramatic comeback in the Nou Camp.
The Argentine always had the measure of an evidently terrified Joleon Lescott and he seized on the defender's poor clearance to dink over Joe Hart for the crucial breakthrough on 67 minutes.
Deflated looks on the faces of the City players, who had shown plenty of endeavour and created great chances, indicated that even they knew the game was up.
And their frustrations boiled over when Edin Dzeko was denied what should have been a penalty minutes after Messi's goal, with referee Stéphane Lannoy exacerbating the anger by sending off Pablo Zabaleta for dissent.
There was the smallest flicker of hope when Vincent Kompany knocked in with minutes left but that lasted only moments as Dani Alves strongly sidefooted home for a decisive victory.
Prior to that it was honours even in terms of chances created, with both sides contributing to an entertaining affair but ultimately City's profligacy cost them dear.
Lescott, in for the suspended Martin Demichelis, endured a torrid evening against the dancing Messi and should have conceded a penalty only for the referee to spare his blushes with a poor decision.
The former World Player of the Year was enjoying himself against the bumbling defender and almost broke the deadlock only for Kompany to hack off the line.
Pellegrini’s boys were dealt another slice of luck when the officials incorrectly flagged Jordi Alba for offside after Xavi had turned in the Spanish full-back’s square pass.
Chances came and went for the hosts as Neymar and Xavi both tested the gloves of the impressive Hart, while City almost executed a beautiful goal only for Samir Nasri to fire straight at Victor Valdes following David Silva's sublime volleyed backheel.
Nerves in the Nou Camp were jangling and Neymar almost settled them when he drew Hart out of goal but his curling effort found Kompany on the line, who headed clear.
Dzeko replaced the anonymous Sergio Aguero at the break and made an instant impact, testing Valdes first with a low shot and then a mammoth header which the keeper had to desperately claw away from the top corner.
Sandwiched in between this Messi cutely sidefooted a strike off the post, having again given Lescott another run around, while at the other end Zabaleta agonisingly sliced one wide.
Somehow the game remained goalless but finally Barcelona struck with Messi deservedly getting on the scoresheet with a beautiful finish.
Pellegrini gambled throwing on Alvaro Negredo but moments later Zabaleta got his second yellow having argued that Dzeko should have got a penalty after the Bosnian was sent sprawling by Gerard Pique.
There was to be late flourish as Kompany guided home Negredo's header but Alves soon restored the lead from Andres Iniesta's cutback to put City to bed and leave them competing for just the Premier League.
Elsewhere, Paris Saint-Germain easily finished off a ten-man Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 at home to reach the Champions League quarter-finals for a second successive season.
Leading 4-0 from the first-leg, the Ligue 1 side were practically through before kick-off barring a catastrophe and acted as if this was the case.
Sidney Sam's header on six minutes gave the visitors the lead but finally PSG clicked into gear and Marquinhos levelled just seven minutes later with his own header to end any faint hopes of a comeback.
Leverkusen's Simon Rolfes had a penalty saved while Ezequiel Lavezzi put the hosts ahead with an excellent finish on 53 minutes before the Bundesliga side's misery was compounded as Emre Can got a second yellow for diving.