I called it, and i felt Chelsea would give them a game. Chelsea are more naturally setup to play Barcelona than any of the other top English clubs, being able to comfortably play a 4-3-3 type formation.
This is why their record and performances against Barcelona the past decade or so have been very good.
Barcelona have Madrid, and Chelsea have Arsenal this weekend. Massive games for both of them. Will be interesting to see if there are major team changes.
This is a fantastic result for Chelsea just because Barcelona have no away goal. If Chelsea can go to Camp Nou and nick a goal, they will reach the final IMO. Milan managed to score there, so did Leverkusen.
Its tightly balanced, but Chelsea have a really fantastic chance now.
Messi can't compete in EPL, he dominates LaLiga. CR7 is versatile able to compete in multiple leagues, which makes him a complete player IMO. Messi is great, but only in one league...
You seem to like getting disagrees don't you buddymagoo??
I will admit I was cheering chelsea on but only due to the fact that I'm a madrid fan.
Don't start up the bullshit that Premier league teams are better. Man U couldn't compete in the FA Cup, The Europa Cup OR the Champions League. Ohhh that thing you said that we haven't been to a final in 9 years. Do you really want to go into a discussion about finals and trophies with between Man U and Real Madrid.
Manchester United have been in transition this year with a new Goalkeeper, losing our captain for the season and having Scholes missing half the season on top of all the injuries we had. We have done well to be where we are. Madrid on the other hand might now end the season without a trophy wit one of the best players in the world. One thing is for sure, you won't beat Barca Saturday like Chelsea have. Come on EPL!
This is about Chlesea and Barcelona tonight, no need to bring up Real and Man Utd.
EPL is the best in the world and its been proved again by a team 6th in premier league beating supposedly best in the world, but they are not the best,they just have the best player in the world.
The 2 best teams in spain have now been beat now,i think its safe to say the spanish league nowhere near the best and a boring 2 horse race every year.
Man U and other premier league teams like liverpool have their cycles n their time will come again in the CL,to say United can't compete because of a bad season is stupid.
1 thing is for sure ,if barcelona can't beat a premier league team whose players are in the twilight of their careers then both real madrid and barcelona would get destroyed in the EPL.
These old guys at chelsea would make Nelson proud lol.
So what do you say if the final is between the 2nd placed German club more than half a dozen points behind the leaders and the 6th placed English club more than 20 points behind the leaders?
Does that mean the two top Spanish clubs aren't as good as you thought?
Manchester United had a poor year in Europe, and they looked disinterested in the Europa league.
That doesn't suddenly make them a considerably worse side than these semi finalists. Nor Man City. It just means they had a bad run of results at a bad time.
It can happen to anybody. It is still nice to see Chelsea, a club outside the champions league spot in England currently, beat Barcelona and potentially reach the final.
Kind of blows these pointless best couple of teams means best league comparison arguments out the water TBH
I have never really judged a league on how good the top 1 or 2 teams are in it versus everybody else, just how exciting it is in terms of passionate rivalries and edgy matches and entertainment.
Cos really, thats what football is isn't it? Entertainment.
In that respect, the premier league still has every other European league beat hands down for my money. Why else do you think it generates such vast revenues....
You seem like you love to talk a lot of smack about United. 1 poor run of games in the Champion's League and you run your mouth like United have constantly been poor in Europe. When was the last time Real made it to 3 finals in a 4 year span? 1950s? Who cares about Europa or the FA Cup when winning the league is a much bigger focus than those Johnstone's Paint Trophies.
you know what i think makes the biggest diference between EPL and La Liga (in favor of EPL), that the EPL is not a two team league as it has been the case with La Liga for a while now.
You know almost any team can compete and maybe even defeat the top teams. On the spanish league, the most you can hope when another team plays against madrid or barca is perhaps a tie every 10 games...
Its that competition that even the small teams bring to the table that makes the EPL so good (the best in my opinion)
hahaaa i was cheering chelsea cause i am a madrid fan too Hala madrid btw chelsea did an amazing job i hope ramos learns from cahil and alonso from lampard also coentao to learn from ashley cole there defense was tight btw benzema is a big chances waste he needs to be more clinical in front of the goal like drogba ( in the end congrats chelsea )
"Messi wouldn't be able to cope in the Premier League". Funny, considering he scored a goal on your fav. team, hell even Pedro scored a goal against your team, then Bilbao beat them twice.
Meanwhile, MANU couldn't even get to semifinals, a lot of talk coming from somebody who doesn't have much room to do.
Ha! save the lame excuses of players being injured for someone who is gullible enough to buy them! They are professional players. Man u played poorly in Europe and you call it a "transition year".
For that matter Real Madrid have been in "transition years" for quite a while and were finally getting back to our former glory.
I wouldn't really call spending 150m a year transition. Spending that kind of money you expect instant results.
We spend a third of your budget yet have been to the last 3 in 4 Champions League finals. If it weren't for our arrogance in thinking we could beat Barca at their own game maybe we could have won more but we played more open than we should have. You can not play Barca's game against Barca which is why Chelsea did well looking to park the bus then hit them on the break. This has been the only way to beat Barca now for the last couple of years. Mourinho's Inter did the same.
as much as i enjoyed seeing barca lose dont read too much into this.. they dominated for 90mins and hit the woodwork twice whilst missing a few sitters.. unless chelsea find a bus to park infront of goal at the nou camp barca will destroy them.. and messi would run riot in the prem he's already ripped us and arsenal to shreds 1 quiet game means nothing
Chelsea keeps getting lucky. First they played worse than Benfica both times, and they won. Now they play against Barca, and they won. They had far more posession, shooting, and chances than chelsea, at least twice more.
They will get wrecked away... or theyll be lucky again.
Chelsea scored and you need 3 and you haven't beat them in 3 at the Camp Nou. Madrid have a better chance. Additionally, Messi hasn't scored against Chelsea yet.
Anything can happen but the next few weeks will be critical for Barca, they could be out of everything.
cant win a game on possession can you? You need goals. Barca played much better than Chelsea though, as you highlighted but only one thing counts in the end.... Goals
Ramires was fantastic and great passing of the ball to Drogba. Totally unexpecting from two Barcelona defenders.
Poor Barcelona, did many attempts, 2 or 3 times hit the woodwork. But Messi, you were one heck of a player. Great run, passes, movements. I never seen you played before.
Next up, Arsenal. Must beat them. If perform well, Chelsea must take that to Nou Camp. It will be a tough one.
If Chelsea wins, I will be going to Munich to see em in the final. ;)
Di Matteo is some coach! He is making the best out of a squad filled with players well past their prime, something which a 15 million pound worth manager couldn't do! Chelsea should not let him go
well done chelsea but i still think barca will win at theres. i hope chelsea do manage to hang on because i'd like to see an english team in the final but i cant see it happening with the amount of chances they created tonight.
Do like the double standard on how no one mentions that messi didnt "show up" to the game just like cristiano ronaldo. Yeah messi had passes but so what end of the day neither of them scored.
You said it yourself messi doesnt score or lets put it this way. He doesnt "perform" *gasp* and barca loses and doesnt get an away goal.
Ironic that the man who said ''It's a fucking disgrace!'' 2 years ago is the one that scored today. Anyway I hope Chelsea can keep theri lead at Camp Nou
I think chelsea supporters are reading too much into it.
Well done for the win, but barca were all over them.
Just one of those games where the team on top cannot score.
Reminds me of arsenal games, 80% possesion and no goals or not enough. Wigans game is a reminder of that. Was all arsenal and two sloppy goals were given away.
hahaha you people proclaiming that chelsea sitting 6th on the premiere league is better than barcelona, and therefore the premiere league is better than la liga are absolutely dillusional. Burst out of your little bubble. Barcelona outplayed chelsea so much its not even funny. 78 percent possesion and something like 15 shots on goal vs 1 lucky break that chelsea managed to put it. yeah yeah goals are what matter but you really dont expect chelsea to be that lucky at camp nou do you? Seriously it was just one of those lucky days. Barcelona is going to rape them on the second leg. Having said that i firmy believe the premiere league is indeed a better league than La Liga, however barca are the best team in the world. Deal with it. bye
I don't understand why teams don't swarm two players on the ball handler like Barca does. There is nothing Barca does special to have possession all the time. It's a combo of teams backing off them, and them swarming you when they don't have the ball until you quickly lose possession. It would not put a team in harms way to swarm two players on them near the middle of the pitch. Don't let Barca bully you!
Well done Chelsea! Barca beaten by an English team that currently sits 6th in the league table. Premier League, Best in the world!
Messi wouldn't be able to cope in the Premier League.
Unlucky barca, they really deserved something from this game. Hit the crossbar twice
I could see Chelsea getting battered at the Camp though, Chelsea could only counterattack at home
Good result for Chelsea at home but away from home it will be far more diffcult.
Chelsea keeps getting lucky. First they played worse than Benfica both times, and they won. Now they play against Barca, and they won. They had far more posession, shooting, and chances than chelsea, at least twice more.
They will get wrecked away... or theyll be lucky again.
Barca had more possession, created more opportunities, had more shots, etc. 1-0 is disappointing.
Fabregas was nowhere to be found, and then that last play where we were inches from a goal. Ugh!
Oh well, time to do some work at home!!