On a cold and blustery April evening Chelsea managed to pull the wool over Messi and co eyes and beat Barcelona thanks to a late first half finish for Didier Drogba.
The goal really summed up Chelsea's evening, defend, defend, defend and then break and hope for the best! For most of the first half Chelsea were in their own box stopping play, blocking shots and generally getting Barcelona frustrated.
Then, in the final minute of the first half, Messi loses the ball in the rain and Lampard pounces about 10 yards into the Chelsea half. Lampard ran it to halfway, saw Ramires and launched it with pinpoint precision into the quick number 7's path. With some beautiful chest control, Ramires took it into the Barcelona box and put in a low cross. Mascherano slipped and Drogba, even with a slightly scuffed finish, slid the ball into Valdes' net. It managed to come off both of his feet, not his best finish but one of the most important.
But how, where so many before them have failed, did Chelsea manage to not only win but also keep Barca from their almost inevitable goal. Barcelona have only had four games this season in all competitions where they haven't scored before the Chelsea match!
Drogba was key to Chelsea's success. The perseverance he showed as well as the way he held the ball up and won vital free kicks were key to the Blues triumph.
In the first half, the ball was cleared up to half way by Chelsea's defence as soon as they got the ball back. This was because they knew Drogba had the height to beat Adriano and Alves in their respective positions. He then perfected the art of falling and won several free kicks in the midfield region.
This is important because it breaks Barca's rhythm. Sir Alex Ferguson described Barcelona's midfield and strike force as the passing carousel?. Drogba winning these kicks then breaks up the flow of the carousel, and frustrates Barca as they then have to start again.
Drogba also spent a lot of the time injured, in big inverted commas! Not to deceive the referee or get other players in trouble, as we have seen in recent weeks, but to give his team a rest. And boy, were they in need of a rest, both physically and mentally, after the barrage of pass-and-move from the Barca team in and around the box.
Cahill and Terry really were the stars for Chelsea, even more so than Didier Drogba, although they didn't score or make a huge impact on the ball, they were there for the team when they needed them most. The amount of concentration the centre-backs had to have today was incredible.
When they would expect a fellow Premier League to shoot, Barca kept passing. Then when they expected Barcelona to pass, they would shoot. Usually into the outstretched boot or leg of JT or Gary Cahill. Both defenders made Barca look bad, and that is the best credit they can get.
In the 56th minute was a perfect example of Cahill's concentration. Barca were playing the ball around the box as usual for several minutes, when suddenly Fabregas chipped the ball over the defensive line and Sanchez was one-on-one with Cech. Cahill came back and put in a tackle that put Sanchez off just enough to make him push it wide.
Although praising the Chelsea defence, I didn't think Branislav Ivanovic had the best game of his career. There were several times in the second half where he strayed into the centre of defence to help stop Messi, understandably of course, but left Iniesta and Pedro free on the right side to put in a cross. To his credit he got over in time to stop those crosses, however he will have to be careful in the second leg, as he may not be so lucky.
I wouldn't be surprised if RDM put five in defence next week. An extra player could help put more pressure on Messi, Xavi, Busquets or Iniesta when they have ball but also leave Ivanovic free to cover on the right leaving no one free. Jon Obi Mikel played an essential part of the game at Stamford Bridge. He didn't have much of the ball but the way he tracked the runs of Messi, Xavi and Iniesta was suberb. He played just in front of the back four, exactly the position where Messi loves to ambush the defence from. He put pressure on players once they reached his zone, and he didn't leave his area during the whole 90 minutes. If Messi was substituted, I wouldn't have been surprised to see Mikel follow the little Argentinian to the Barcelona bench.
Chelsea's game plan worked, and Barcelona got frustrated. This was evident in the 77th minute when Barca had a free kick 35 yards from goal. Normally, they would take a quick kick and push it down the wing, not this time. Dani Alves took aim and shot. This is the sort of thing that Chelsea would love to happen next week as well.
As it is, it's advantage Chelsea but it is going to be a very different kettle of fish in Spain next week. Barca didn't have the best night, but that will change and Chelsea will have to be careful in their defending. Put five at the back to ease the workload, and stick to tonight's game plan. Get Drogba to fall down a lot again and Chelsea can get to the final. Chelsea needs to concentrate on shutting out the Catalans and frustrating them again.
By Joel Orme
Source: DSG
Source: DSG