I had twittered my expectation of ballet in the mud. Well, it turned out less than that, this latest encounter between FC Barcelona and Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
It was for sure wet, damp and cold sitting with a group of Barca fans just to the right behind the goal at the visitor’s end-the kind of conditions that remind one that watching even the best team in the world live sometimes involves a large degree of masochism.
Just a yard and a line of stewards separated us from the nearest home supporters which meant the usual exchange of mutual provocation. The Chelsea fans chanted about Barca being cheats. We began by chanting our tribute to Andrew Iniesta, and ended calling Didier Drogba the biggest cheat of them all.
By then cules had been plunged into temporary stunned silence when Drogba mercilessly snatched a goal in extra time thanks to a move laid on a plate by a rare Messi mistake. Cause and effect summed up the game really.
From the opening whistle, Barca appeared to play the way that had made them champions, possessing the ball, and finessing it in a series of perfectly executed passes . I use the word ‘appeared’ with intent. The holding operation seemed to be eternal. But it was evident pretty soon that the ball for much of the time was not going anywhere other than a series of backward and lateral moves that increasingly seemed less inspirational than sterile. Chelsea tactics cried out for early substitutions by Guardiola which came too late. When the goal came it simply underlined the effectiveness of Chelsea’s defence, and simplicity of counterattack.
Sure, last might’s stats suggest a different narrative, with Barca dominating the control of the ball for most of the match and with the most chances of goal. But it was a team that proved largely ineffective in front of goal, after counter-attacking laboriously. The culprits in Barca’s team included Alex Sanchez and Cesc Fabregas, who squandered chances that would have otherwise sealed last night their club’s access to the Champion’s final.
So now we have to wait till next Tuesday to see Guardiola’s boys prove their real worth, at a Camp Nou were English dreams have been as easily shattered as they have been realised.
I have to say I did not enjoy last night’s game-and I don’t blame it on the weather. I was simply bored by Barca and frustrated by Drogba. The only consolation is that the game acted as something of a catharsis for Chelsea fans who since 2009 have thought only of grudge and revenge. By the end of last night’s game there was far less abuse that when FC Barcelona faced a Chelsea team moulded by Mourinho and I saw emblems being exchanged by rival fans at the end.
Something tells me that if Mourinho had been in charge at Stamford Bridge last night, there would have been more hostility in the stadium and Barca would have been provoked into playing with more spirit. Bring on El Classico on Saturday. But right now I can’t wait to welcome Chelsea to the Camp Nou on Tuesday. Rest assured the result is going to be very different, with or without Drogba.
Hmmm, now is not the time to twist the knife. As BLUES WILL WIN said, its just half time….
The word that springs to mind is “sterile”. Both Chelsea parking the bus, and Barça´s suffocation, controlling the ball, going nowhere.
The Real Madrid/Bayern game was splendid, as both attacked consistently, lost the ball many times.In other words a spectacle – what we pay to see. Barça´s style & contributuion to modern football is immense, but there is a real danger that 70%+ posession kills games. Mourinho, has tried to deal with it 3 ways: park the bus, aggression by kicking players off the pitch or 100% attack to push Barça into their own half…. he hasn’t found an answer…..yet. So Di Matteo went for parking the bus – a double decker one. Fascinating game for the purist, but a bore for the neutral…
And Didier..what a man! His play acting slowed the game down, his menace was a constant threat and his goal was sublime….
My impression was that Barça are short of ideas, scared of Premier clubs and lacking in aggression. Well Camp Nou will be very different, but it just needs 1 Chelsea goal and Barça will need to score 3, not easy against the discipline showed yesterday.
Finally, yes, there was little grudge and revenge going on! I think Barça are greatly respected by all football fans & players. So your previous blog was very out of tune…and so I hope is your conclusion in the above one! After the battle this Saturday, I wonder if Barça has got it in them to beat the Blues!……..
Well I was there too, luckily seating in the upper tier with the Barça supporters, no rain there at all …. thanks god for that.
Also not close enough to the blues supporters which helps too…
Only one team played football , the other parked the bus. We were very unfortunate not to win this game by 3 or 4 goals but this things do happen in football ; Chelsea had only one chance and took advantage of the defensive misshapes/mistakes….
I think Pep was hoping for a good outcome here because war happens on saturday and hopefully we shall be victorious without
too many casualties …. La Liga continuous to create unnecessary strain for the participants in multiple competitions and should foresee this , so their participants qualify with more ease into the Final stage. Som-hi nois ! Força Barça !
After the dust has settled….. One has to say Chelsea were very well organised and well disciplined… Their defending was stubborn and very spirited… One has to admire that…
On another day if Barca had taken one or two of the chances they squandered the game would have quickly taken a different turn…. That said we didn’t and that has made the return leg a much tougher prospect… Am sure chelsea know they will be in for a tough game next week.
I would challenge the point about Barca being scared of premiership sides. After all in last years final.. we did give Man Utd a bit of going over… and we have dispensed with Arsenal in 2010 & 2011
That said last night Chelsea were hugely professional! Maybe not for the purist. But in the end it is balls in the net that count.. and Guardiola alluded to this in his post match press conference…
Role on Tuesday.. Strap yourself in as it will be one hell of a angst filled evening… oh and then there is the small matter of Madrid on Saturday night… Have Faith, Pep knows!
After the dust has settled….. One has to say Chelsea were very well organised and well disciplined… Their defending was stubborn and very spirited… One has to admire that…
On another day if Barca had taken one or two of the chances they squandered the game would have quickly taken a different turn…. That said we didn’t and that has made the return leg a much tougher prospect… Am sure chelsea know they will be in for a tough game next week.
I would challenge the point about Barca being scared of premiership sides. After all in last years final.. we did give Man Utd a bit of going over… and we have dispensed with Arsenal in 2010 & 2011
That said last night Chelsea were hugely professional! Maybe not for the purist. But in the end it is balls in the net that count.. and Guardiola alluded to this in his post match press conference…
Role on Tuesday.. Strap yourself in as it will be one hell of a angst filled evening… oh and then there is the small matter of Madrid on Saturday night… Have Faith, Pep knows!
After the dust has settled….. One has to say Chelsea were very well organised and well disciplined… Their defending was stubborn and very spirited… One has to admire that…
On another day if Barca had taken one or two of the chances they squandered the game would have quickly taken a different turn…. That said we didn’t and that has made the return leg a much tougher prospect… Am sure chelsea know they will be in for a tough game next week.
I would challenge the point about Barca being scared of premiership sides. After all in last years final.. we did give Man Utd a bit of going over… and we have dispensed with Arsenal in 2010 & 2011
That said last night Chelsea were hugely professional! Maybe not for the purist. But in the end it is balls in the net that count.. and Guardiola alluded to this in his post match press conference…
Role on Tuesday.. Strap yourself in as it will be one hell of a angst filled evening… oh and then there is the small matter of Madrid on Saturday night… Have Faith, Pep knows!
After the dust has settled….. One has to say Chelsea were very well organised and well disciplined… Their defending was stubborn and very spirited… One has to admire that…
On another day if Barca had taken one or two of the chances they squandered the game would have quickly taken a different turn…. That said we didn’t and that has made the return leg a much tougher prospect… Am sure chelsea know they will be in for a tough game next week.
I would challenge the point about Barca being scared of premiership sides. After all in last years final.. we did give Man Utd a bit of going over… and we have dispensed with Arsenal in 2010 & 2011
That said last night Chelsea were hugely professional! Maybe not for the purist. But in the end it is balls in the net that count.. and Guardiola alluded to this in his post match press conference…
Role on Tuesday.. Strap yourself in as it will be one hell of a angst filled evening… oh and then there is the small matter of Madrid on Saturday night… Have Faith, Pep knows!
errr……….waiting for Blog on the “dampener” last Saturday at Mou Camp…… 🙂