Fabregas (pen) 85

Arsenal kept their Champions League hopes alive with a stirring comeback from two-nil down, having been outclassed by Barcelona for much of this quarter-final first leg.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s two goals early in the second half were just reward for the Catalans’ dominance.

But substitute Theo Walcott made an immediate goalscoring impact and Cesc Fabregas’s late penalty gave the Gunners a fortunate lifeline.

But both sides will be without key players for next Tuesday’s second leg, due to injury and suspension.

Barca created numerous early chances in a breathtaking first fifteen minutes.

But much-maligned Arsenal keeper Manuel Almunia denied Sergio Busquets, Lionel Messi, Ibrahimovic and Xabi.

Samr Nasri was inches wide with a fine curling effort on 23 minutes, but otherwise it was all Barcelona.

And they took the lead 24 seconds after half-time, Ibrahimovic lobbing Almunia after running onto a Gerard Pique pass.

Ibrahimovic drove home the second from the identical position on 59 minutes, Xabi supplying the pass.

Walcott gave Arsenal hope when he outpaced the Barca defence to fire home from Nicklas Bendtner’s pass on 69 minutes.

And Fabregas equalised from the spot sixteen minutes later after being clumsily felled by Barca captain Carlos Puyol, who was sent-off.