John Terry is Chelsea's hero as Barcelona are kept out
For all the breath-taking beauty of Barcelona’s football, for all that Catalan pulses were set racing by Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi, Camp Nou was reminded on Tuesday night that football is about defending, as well as attacking and John Terry gave the locals a master-class. For the first time this season Barcelona had failed to score at home.
Terry was immense, a captain leading by example, the rock on which Barcelona’s celebrated attacking ambition foundered. He kept clearing danger in the air and on the ground and his example inspired all his team-mates. Alex impressed alongside him while Petr Cech made vital saves from Dani Alves and Alexander Hleb.
Chelsea would have loved an away goal, and will be aware that a mistake at the Bridge next week would leave them a mountain to climb. Yet such was Barcelona’s dominance of possession last night that Chelsea were entitled to a deep satisfaction for keeping Iniesta and Messi at bay.
Barcelona’s belief was rooted in the abilities of attackers like Thierry Henry, whose pace and control had embarrassed Branislav Ivanovic within 70 seconds of a chastening first half for Chelsea. Ivanovic simply could not live with the speed of the former Arsenal striker, and hauled him to the ground. Chelsea survived that scare but the warning was clear. Menace came in many forms here.
Barcelona’s technical class, their joie de vivre and quicksilver movement were all on parade. Andres Iniesta, outstanding in central midfield, glided around Michael Ballack and Alex in swift, elegant succession. Camp Nou almost gasped in disbelief when Lionel Messi miscontrolled the ball. He was human after all. Soon, though, the little Argentinian, prematurely compared to Diego Maradona but exuding the potential to reach such heights one day, began to live up to his billing.
Soon he was displaying remarkable acceleration to race away from Jose Bosingwa, who emulated Ivanovic, fighting flair with fire, introducing Messi to the floor. The ball seemed almost intoxicated with Messi’s company, almost beseeching to be placed permanently under the No 10’s cultured command. One pass from Messi to Dani Alves, squeezed through a thicket of thicket of yellow shirts, defied geometry, let alone belief.
Messi was mesmerising, joining Iniesta in running the show, delighting Barcelona fans and all who love the Beautiful Game. Here was an exhibition of how football should be played: with hunger, energy and sumptuous skill, taking on an opponent with a feint here, a flick there and no end of dribbles. Camp Nou was a canvas and Messi’s vivid brush-strokes were all over it.
His starting position on the left was merely a base camp for scaling the heights. Messi kept cutting inside, playing one-twos with Henry, then Samuel Eto’o, creating shooting opportunities, none taken.
The local prints had predicted a culture clash along the lines, make that headlines of "Beauty and the Beast’’. Chelsea had little compunction in using physics to combat the arts of Barcelona. Florent Malouda, usually as hard as Camembert, followed through on Victor Valdes. John Obi Mikel, starting ahead of Nicolas Anelka as Hiddink flooded midfield, clattered Xavi. Camp Nou was incensed, screaming for the experienced German referee, Wolfgang Stark, to clamp down on the visitors’ nihilistic streak.
Stark, commendably, was keen to play advantage, an approach that helped Barcelona, and started reaching for the yellow card only when the challenges increased in spite, particularly when Henry was targeted. First Alex poleaxed Henry, who was then caught nastily by Michael Ballack, another venomous incident for the Germany-France scrap-book.
While Stark reached for the book, Barcelona reached for the stars. Iniesta was putting on a glittering display, full of fine passing and surges through the middle. Iniesta has this neat way of rolling away from a marker, dragging the ball with him, so confident in his technique that he never fears losing possession. As the half wore on, as Barcelona dominated, Iniesta linked instinctively with Henry, whose shot was saved. Then Iniesta went himself, bringing a save from Cech.
Chelsea were in danger of being passed to death, their mettle and mobility tested by Barcelona’s pass masters. As the siege intensified, John Terry and Alex stood firm at the heart of Chelsea’s defence, heading away danger – but it soon returned.
Set up in 4-2-3-1 formation, Chelsea broke out only infrequently in the first half. Early on, Malouda and Michael Essien combined to set up Frank Lampard, whose shot curled wide. Seven minutes before the break, Drogba was gifted a magnificent opportunity. Rafael Marquez squared the ball across his box far too lazily, imparting insufficient power in the ball. Drogba scented blood, chasing down the ball, and sending it flying goalwards.
Sadly for Chelsea, Valdes was alive to the danger, rushing out and saving. Drogba was first to the loose ball, which he attempted to lift over the Barcelona keeper, who again impressed by clawing the ball away.
Chelsea supporters were finding their voice. They had failed to take up their full allocation, sending back 1600 tickets, but made themselves heard as the second half unfolded, particularly when Ballack headed a Drogba free-kick just wide.
Barcelona came calling again, re-examining Chelsea’s character. Dani Alves lacks exceptional defensive qualities but the Brazilian is formidable going forward, and unleashed a shot that Cech did well to see, let alone stop. For all the talk of Chelsea sweeping into town, attacking relentlessly, they had known the storm blowing towards them.
Hiddink’s centre-halves were outstanding. Terry slid in to nick the ball ahead of Xavi with Cech exposed. Then Alex leapt high to head clear an Eric Abidal cross. Alex was then outpaced by Eto’o, who would have scored but for a magnificent save from Cech.
The giant Czech Republic keeper has come in for criticism in recent times, but he was a towering figure here. With Barcelona sweeping forward in ever increasing waves, Hiddink made a defensive move, withdrawing Lampard, who had seen little of the ball, and sent on Juliano Belletti, who had scored for Barcelona in a Champions League final but was now charged with frustrating his erstwhile colleagues.
With Drogba increasingly isolated, barring occasional breaks from Malouda, Chelsea were living dangerously and Bosingwa was incredibly lucky that Stark did not spot his tug at Henry’s shirt, a ruse that knocked the French international off-balance. Worst offences have scarred elite fields this season but it was still a penalty. Chelsea had escaped.
Chelsea’s defending was awesome. Terry stooped in ahead of Messi to clear. Lady Luck then smiled on Chelsea, Bojan heading over when unmarked and Alexander Hleb denied by Cech and then firing wide. The Bridge promises to be tense.
