Champions League Chelsea vs. Barcelona

[Castiel]

Told you not to write us off. We've always been better at handling Barca than the other English teams. It wasn't pretty but it worked as intended. Being ahead is great but preventing the away goal is what I'm most glad about. If we can nick another one at theirs they'll suddenly be in a very difficult position.

 

[bernabias home shirt]

Told you not to write us off. We've always been better at handling Barca than the other English teams. It wasn't pretty but it worked as intended. Being ahead is great but preventing the away goal is what I'm most glad about. If we can nick another one at theirs they'll suddenly be in a very difficult position.

It only worked because you rode your luck pal..

You have to realise barca wernt on their game and could of bagged 6..

 

[Castiel]

Told you not to write us off. We've always been better at handling Barca than the other English teams. It wasn't pretty but it worked as intended. Being ahead is great but preventing the away goal is what I'm most glad about. If we can nick another one at theirs they'll suddenly be in a very difficult position.

It only worked because you rode your luck pal..

You have to realise barca wernt on their game and could of bagged 6..

But didn't, did they? We constantly closed down their space, constantly broke up their rhythm, and did everything we could (Drogba's constant diving) to allow our players to reset formation to prevent them from relentlessly pressing us in our own box like United did in the last final. They're the best attacking team in the world, they're going to create chances. Most of them were just from Messi. But we missed chances too. The stat that matters is the one at the top.

 

[bernabias home shirt]

Told you not to write us off. We've always been better at handling Barca than the other English teams. It wasn't pretty but it worked as intended. Being ahead is great but preventing the away goal is what I'm most glad about. If we can nick another one at theirs they'll suddenly be in a very difficult position.

It only worked because you rode your luck pal..

You have to realise barca wernt on their game and could of bagged 6..

But didn't, did they? We constantly closed down their space, constantly broke up their rhythm, and did everything we could (Drogba's constant diving) to allow our players to reset formation to prevent them from relentlessly pressing us in our own box like United did in the last final. They're the best attacking team in the world, they're going to create chances. Most of them were just from Messi. But we missed chances too. The stat that matters is the one at the top.

I will agree you defended well..

However the reason you are 1 up is because barca missed gilt edged chances,hitting the woodwork,missing one on ones,open nets,it was poor finishing which cost barca nothing more.

 

[Castiel]

It only worked because you rode your luck pal..

You have to realise barca wernt on their game and could of bagged 6..

But didn't, did they? We constantly closed down their space, constantly broke up their rhythm, and did everything we could (Drogba's constant diving) to allow our players to reset formation to prevent them from relentlessly pressing us in our own box like United did in the last final. They're the best attacking team in the world, they're going to create chances. Most of them were just from Messi. But we missed chances too. The stat that matters is the one at the top.

I will agree you defended well..

However the reason you are 1 up is because barca missed gilt edged chances,hitting the woodwork,missing one on ones,open nets,it was poor finishing which cost barca nothing more.

The only open net I remember was the one Cole cleared off the line which is a testament to his reactions more than anything. Kalou missed from a few yards in front of goal and Drogba messed up his control when he was 1 on 1 with Valdes. That'd be 3-0 already. Goes both ways, chances are created and missed. I don't think its a surprise that Barca created a lot more than we did but calling it an "off day" or "unlucky" is just a big excuse to me.

If we're so shite and Barca are so overwhelmingly awesome, their finishing should be better. Or maybe we pressured their attacks and managed their buildup well enough to keep a clean sheet. Who knows. Luck certainly can't win out over 2 legs.

 

[bluemoon32]

It only worked because you rode your luck pal..

You have to realise barca wernt on their game and could of bagged 6..

But didn't, did they? We constantly closed down their space, constantly broke up their rhythm, and did everything we could (Drogba's constant diving) to allow our players to reset formation to prevent them from relentlessly pressing us in our own box like United did in the last final. They're the best attacking team in the world, they're going to create chances. Most of them were just from Messi. But we missed chances too. The stat that matters is the one at the top.

I will agree you defended well..

However the reason you are 1 up is because barca missed gilt edged chances,hitting the woodwork,missing one on ones,open nets,it was poor finishing which cost barca nothing more.

Chelsea won 1-0, missed chances, possession stats mean nothing.
Yes, it'll be difficult out there but Chelsea will definitely get chances as the Barcelona defence is average at times.

 

[Anonymous]

However the reason you are 1 up is because barca missed gilt edged chances,hitting the woodwork,missing one on ones,open nets,it was poor finishing which cost barca nothing more.

The fact is that you don't beat this Barca team without a huge amount of luck. It's just not realistic to expect any team to go out and outplay them. On that front, Chelsea played the perfect game. They were dangerous on the counter (Drogba in his prime would've scored more than the one goal he did) and looked relatively solid at the back. Restricting Barca to the chances they had was better than most teams could expect to do.

Still going to be a huge task at the Nou Camp but they're in with a fighting chance. I'd play the same team and the same tactics.

 

[bernabias home shirt]

However the reason you are 1 up is because barca missed gilt edged chances,hitting the woodwork,missing one on ones,open nets,it was poor finishing which cost barca nothing more.

The fact is that you don't beat this Barca team without a huge amount of luck. It's just not realistic to expect any team to go out and outplay them. On that front, Chelsea played the perfect game. They were dangerous on the counter (Drogba in his prime would've scored more than the one goal he did) and looked relatively solid at the back. Restricting Barca to the chances they had was better than most teams could expect to do.
Still going to be a huge task at the Nou Camp but they're in with a fighting chance. I'd play the same team and the same tactics.

You mean the 15 shots on goal & 10 off that they created?

 

[MSP]

Told you not to write us off. We've always been better at handling Barca than the other English teams. It wasn't pretty but it worked as intended. Being ahead is great but preventing the away goal is what I'm most glad about. If we can nick another one at theirs they'll suddenly be in a very difficult position.

It only worked because you rode your luck pal..

You have to realise barca wernt on their game and could of bagged 6..

Nothing with luck there..

 

[gazinho]

But didn't, did they? We constantly closed down their space, constantly broke up their rhythm, and did everything we could (Drogba's constant diving) to allow our players to reset formation to prevent them from relentlessly pressing us in our own box like United did in the last final. They're the best attacking team in the world, they're going to create chances. Most of them were just from Messi. But we missed chances too. The stat that matters is the one at the top.

I will agree you defended well..

However the reason you are 1 up is because barca missed gilt edged chances,hitting the woodwork,missing one on ones,open nets,it was poor finishing which cost barca nothing more.

The only open net I remember was the one Cole cleared off the line which is a testament to his reactions more than anything. Kalou missed from a few yards in front of goal and Drogba messed up his control when he was 1 on 1 with Valdes. That'd be 3-0 already. Goes both ways, chances are created and missed. I don't think its a surprise that Barca created a lot more than we did but calling it an "off day" or "unlucky" is just a big excuse to me.

If we're so shite and Barca are so overwhelmingly awesome, their finishing should be better. Or maybe we pressured their attacks and managed their buildup well enough to keep a clean sheet. Who knows. Luck certainly can't win out over 2 legs.

I know its clutching at straws but the ref had already blown for a foul before Kalou blazed it over the bar from 3 yards. Like i've said previously on the thread you defended extremely well last night restricting probably the most creative team ever to few 'clear-cut' chances, that said both Fabregas and Sanchez could have scored and Busquets most certainly should have scored.

In my opinion you have GOT to score at least once over there, probably twice to give yourselves a proper chance of progressing as I believe they will create a lot more chances in the vast spaces of their Nou Camp pitch and probably finish a lot better than last night aswell.

One things for sure it will be a good game to watch.