Sweet revenge for Barca as Messi downs 10-man Real*****

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MADRID, Apr 28 (AFP): Argentina's two-time world player of the year Lionel Messi scored a superb late brace as Barcelona gained the upper hand in their Champions League semi final with a 2-0 first leg win over arch rivals Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu Wednesday. Real were down to ten men after Pepe had been sent off on the hour mark and Barca made the extra man count with Messi converting an Ibrahim Afellay cross on 76 minutes and then scored a mesmerising goal on 86 minutes for his 11th Champions League goal of the season. "We are one step away from the final but we are not at Wembley yet," said Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola. "We respect Real Madrid a lot and we know they are capable of anything so we won't underestimate them." Messi has now scored on each of his last four visits to the Bernabeu and the late goals are a huge setback for Real coach Jose Mourinho, who was sent to the stands for protesting the dismissal of Pepe. Madrid must now pull off a miracle and win well at Camp Nou in the second leg on May 3 if they are to reach their first final since 2002. "Another miracle with ten men wasn't possible," said an angry Mourinho, whose side were overwhelmed 5-0 on their previous visit to the Camp Nou. "Yes, I think we are eliminated. We will go to Camp Nou with everything and to get a result but I can't see it. "We will be without Pepe and (Sergio) Ramos who didn't do anything and neither did I. I just want to know why? Why did Pepe get sent off? I just want someone to explain. Why did it happen?" For Barcelona it was the perfect revenge after their Kings Cup loss a week ago and they will aim to finish the job at home and reach their first final since 2009 when they won the trophy as part of a historic treble. A war of words had spiced up this red-hot fixture further with the usually calm Guardiola hitting out at Mourinho and expressed his annoyance at being called 'Pep' by his Portuguese counterpart.