The playmaker’s outrageous skills were on full display again on Tuesday, however, as he cut through the Paris Saint-Germain midfield and released Neymar in front of goal to put Barça 1-0 ahead in the 14th minute of their Champions League quarter-final, second leg.
Already leading 3-1 from last week’s first leg in Paris, Neymar’s goal, the first of a double in a 2-0 win for Barça on the night, effectively killed off PSG’s chances of a comeback.
The Catalan giants eased through to the last four for the seventh time in eight seasons and a record 11th time in the Champions League era.
Iniesta’s stunning slalom in the buildup to the opening goal brought the home fans at the Camp Nou to their feet.
Receiving the ball from the centre-back Javier Mascherano deep in the Barça half with his back to the PSG goal, a clever feint took Iniesta past the advancing midfielder Yohan Cabaye.
The forward Edinson Cavani attempted to rob the ball but Iniesta simply motored past him before a burst of pace took him away from midfielder Marco Verratti’s desperate lunge.
Advancing on the retreating PSG backline, Iniesta waited until the perfect moment before threading a pass between the defenders and Neymar took the ball around the PSG goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu and poked it into the empty net.
It was only a third assist of the season for Iniesta in the Champions League, while he has made none in La Liga and two in the Copa del Rey as Barça chase a treble of trophies to match their historic haul from 2009 under Pep Guardiola.
“I was never away but some people see things one way and others another,” Iniesta said.
“I always try to do things well,” he added. “I am very happy with the way everything is working out. I think you can always improve everything.”
Barça will learn who their opponents in the last four are in Friday’s draw, with Bayern Munich already through after they crushed Porto on Tuesday.
The holders Real Madrid host Atlético Madrid later on Wednesday with the city rivals locked at 0-0, while the Italian champions Juventus have a 1-0 advantage when they play at Ligue 1 side Monaco.
