Barca entered the second leg of the quarter-final holding a 1-0 lead, but that was cancelled out inside one minute when Fernando Torres struck for the hosts.

Barcelona equalised on the night through Neymar eight minutes later, but that was far from the end of the scoring.

Atletico regained the lead after 30 minutes when Raul Garcia scored from the penalty spot, but once again Barca responded, with Miranda turning into his own net for 2-2 after 38 minutes.

Neymar then added his second to leave Barca 4-2 ahead in the tie and it got worse for Atletico at the break when their Gabi was given a red card for an incident in the tunnel.

Atletico needed three goals without reply in the second period, but could not respond, while they finished the match with nine men when Mario Suarez was sent off after 84 minutes.

Here, Sports Mole dissects the 90 minutes of action between the two Spanish rivals.

Match statistics

ATLETICO
Shots: 7
On target: 4
Possession: 25%
Corners: 3
Fouls: 18

BARCA
Shots: 14
On target: 7
Possession: 75%
Corners: 4
Fouls: 13

Was the result fair?

Without discussing all of the incidents that came with the match, there is little doubting that Barca deserved to win on the night and indeed advance into the semi-finals. However, it could have been so very different. When Torres levelled the tie inside the first minute, the home supporters felt that something special would occur. However, Barca were level on the night just eight minutes later courtesy of a fine finish from Neymar, who struck once again three minutes before the break. With the score 3-2 Barca at the break, Atletico needed three goals without reply to advance into the next round of the competition.

In truth, that was never likely. The second period, which Atletico had to play with 10 and then nine men, was a non-event. Both sides had half-chances, but the majority of the half involved Barcelona keeping the ball, which is demonstrated in the possession statistics. There was a stage in the first half when Atletico were in charge of the possession, but it did not last long. Barca simply had too much in attack, but Atletico must face criticism for their lack of discipline in the second period. Overall, there is little doubting that Barca deserve to be in the final four, where they will meet either Villarreal or Getafe.

Atletico's performance

Little under 40 seconds were on the clock when Torres struck the opener and sent the Calderon into a frenzy. Barca's threat of an away goal loomed large, however, and the Catalan outfit had their vital goal after nine minutes. Atletico responded from the penalty spot, but it was a fortunate decision to say the least, with replays showing that Javier Mascherano had made contact with Juanfran outside the box. It did not deter Barca, however, who led 3-2 at the break courtesy of Neymar's second and an own goal from Miranda, who struggled without his usual centre-back partner Diego Godin. Jose Gimenez had a decent night overall, but the absence of Godin undoubtedly hurt the hosts.

Atletico can be credited for their work in the first period, but as touched upon, their discipline in the second period was really poor. Gabi was sent off at the interval for an incident in the tunnel, before Mario Suarez picked up his second yellow card late on. Arda Turan was also fortunate not to see red after hurling his boot towards the linesman in a bizarre incident. The capital outfit have gained a number of admirers over the last couple of seasons, but they let themselves down a little here.

Barca's performance

It is now seven straight wins for the Catalan outfit since they lost to Real Sociedad after the winter break. It would not have been easy falling 1-0 behind inside the first minute, but their quality in the final third was there for all to see. The away side's first of the night involved Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, with the latter setting up Neymar, who made no mistake. All three shone throughout the first 45 minutes, with Neymar scoring a second and Suarez coming close to finding the back of the net on a couple of occasions. They were unfortunate to concede a penalty, but might have been handed a slice of luck in the build-up to their third, with Jordi Alba appearing to handle inside his own box moments before the goal.

While Atletico lost their discipline in battle, Barca remained calm. Incredibly, the Catalan outfit picked up just three yellow cards. To put that into context, Atletico picked up seven, in addition to two red cards. Both teams knew that the match was over at the break and the away side did just what was required in the second period. In truth, they could and probably should have made it more comfortable after creating the better of the chances, but it mattered little in terms of progression. Luis Enrique's side have now won all three matches against Atletico this season. Talk of a crisis earlier this year has soon disbanded.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Neymar: Atletico tried to kick the Brazilian off the pitch at the Calderon, but he kept coming back for more. The attacker's first of the night was sensational, while he showed nerves of steel to score his second in the latter stages of the first period. The former Santos youngster struggled to influence these games last season, but that is not the case this term. He now has 21 goals in 25 games this season.

Biggest gaffe

There are a number of incidents that could be included in this category, but Atletico's ill-discipline must be covered. The home side needed all 11 players pulling in the same direction in the second period, but they never had the chance, with Gabi dismissed at the break. It got worse as the half progressed, with Turan and Mario Suarez just two that lost their heads. Atletico boss Diego Simeone also didn't really help the situation, meanwhile, by applauding his players following certain incidents.

Referee performance

Where to start? As expected, referee Jesus Gil had a busy evening. Atletico were awarded a penalty after 30 minutes when Mascherano challenged Juanfran, but the incident clearly took place outside the box. The home side then wanted another spot kick when Alba appeared to handle in the area, which was more a penalty than the first one. To add insult to injury, Barca went immediately down the other end and scored their third of the match. Gil was not afraid to brandish bookings, but the Spaniard had little choice after what occurred, especially in the second period.

Under the circumstances, the official did well to calm matters, especially at the end of the first half when tempers flared on the field between Torres and Neymar. Gabi's red card was behind closed doors, but Mario Suarez had to go following a number of poor challenges. These matches are always feisty and this was no exception. Gil, who is still just 30 years of age, will know that he has been in a game.

What next?

Atletico: The Spanish champions return to La Liga action away to Eibar on Saturday.

Barca: Barca, meanwhile, host Villarreal on Sunday in the league.