Barcelona reached the quarterfinals with Tuesday's 3-1 victory over the Gunners, who were reduced to 10 men from the 56th minute when Robin van Persie was sent off. Van Persie called his red card "a joke" while Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said his team could have won the game if not for the Netherlands striker's exit.
But Mascherano used irony to respond to the English club's criticisms, saying "Barca always wins thanks to the referee, never because of its play." The Argentina midfielder says "we didn't let them breathe and that was the key" to victory.
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