Barcelona vs Chelsea, UEFA Champions League Semi-Final, 2nd Leg: Open Thread
It’s the match that we’ve all been waiting for — the second leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final to determine who will be playing in the 2012 UEFA Champions League Final. Will it be Barcelona or Chelsea? We will find out in the next few hours.
With Chelsea going into the match with a 1-0 aggregate lead, the first goal in this match will be crucial. If Chelsea gets the first goal, Barcelona will need to score three unanswered goals to go through. So it’s quite possible that Chelsea will push forward with a conservative effort during the first half, to try to get that elusive goal which could be enough.
Barcelona, meanwhile, is the team that’s under pressure. If Barca can get the first goal in the match, that will calm their nerves and will boost their confidence levels to push forward and to try to score more. Remember that with Barcelona not scoring an away goal at Stamford Bridge, even a 2-1 win for Barcelona will not be enough to go through.
Barcelona team: Valdes; Puyol, Mascherano, Pique; Xavi, Busquets, Iniesta, Fabregas; Cuenca, Messi, Alexis.
Chelsea team: Cech; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Cole, Mikel, Lampard, Mata, Meireles, Ramires, Drogba.
In the United States, the match kicks off at 2:45pm ET on FOX Soccer. Pre-match coverage on FOX Soccer begins at 2pm ET.
Before, during and after this must-see match from Camp Nou, post your rants, raves, questions and observations about the match in the comments section below. We’ll post the squads as well as more info about the match as soon as we get it.
67 Responses to Barcelona vs Chelsea, UEFA Champions League Semi-Final, 2nd Leg: Open Thread
Ever wonder why Barcelona is so good at tumbling to the pitch??? I have obtained this top secret video of a training session…which even includes learning how to be carried off the pitch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOyQBSMeIhM&feature=related
Is this site supposed to be about the EPL because I really don’t care about Barcelona, Real Madrid and the OVERHYPED champions league, always the same freaking teams year after year, so boring.
“… always the same freaking teams year after year, so boring”.
Pretty much story of EPL last 10-15 years if you ask me. It is almost always Manchester United on the top (not that I complain) with Chelsea or Arsenal as a rare exception when United team happens to have an off season.
Well, at least Manchester United is an interesting to watch… What about Newcastle this season and Tottenham the past few season, what about the great season Swansea are having, it is different from the CL. The Europa League is more interesting because you have different teams every years making great runs. Just can’t stand Barcelona and Real Madrid and the overrated choker Messi.
Hmm… What about Apoel, CSKA, Shakhtar, Shalke, Lyon, Valencia, Porto, Villareal, Deportivo, Monaco just to name few examples?
Chelsea is in the EPL. There’s no talk about the other CL semi, is there?
Ouch. Losing Cahill is a huge blow for Chelsea. Bosingwa on.
Cheers,
The Gaffer
It’s all Barca at the moment, one way traffic. Amazing save from the big goalie to keep Messi from scoring a one-on-one opportunity. How long will Chelsea’s luck last?
Good goal by Barcelona, but poor defending by Chelsea. There were two players queueing up near far post to poke it in.
Game on!
Cheers,
The Gaffer
Red card for John Terry. Stupid knee in the back on Sanchez, but Sanchez completely sold it. Poor decision by John Terry and the assistant referee.
Game over for Chelsea.
What Chelsea could do with Alex now if AVB hadn’t shipped him out!
Cheers,
The Gaffer
I would like to see Chelsea go through, but how is that a poor decision by the ref? What on earth was Terry thinking?? That foul was completely uncalled for and downright stupid. You have to keep your head.
Cheslea is toast.
Ha. Game over.
Full disclosure: I thought the same thing too.
and that is why i don’t want chelski to win, Why would a player do that? so dirty!!
Terry with a nasty disgusting tackle; great call by the referee. Go home!
I don’t see how you an criticize the ref or sanchez, there was absolutely no need, zero, to just knee a player in the back, why? zero class, such a shame, was a great game.
qft
Quantum field theory (QFT) provides a theoretical framework for constructing quantum mechanical models of systems classically parametrized (represented) by an infinite number of degrees of freedom, that is, fields and (in a condensed matter context) many-body systems. It is the natural and quantitative language of particle physics and condensed matter physics.
Is that what was on Terry’s mind???
I believe you might have put your finger on it.
On an unrelated note, this Villa-Bolton game is just screaming 0-0.
This is going to be a match to remember. See ya Chelsea!!
We all better keep watching!!
great ball from lampard, great finish
GAME BACK ON!
What a goal by Ramires. If the score stays the same, then Chelsea will go through. What a first half!
Cheers,
The Gaffer
PS – Brilliant pass by Lampard to Ramires for the goal.
Wow…Ramirez, 2:1, what a goal. Against the run of play but game on again!
Would be nice if my cable wouldn’t get choppy for the 3 goals and for the red card, haven’t seen any of them. This is ridiculous!
I just watched the replay again of the Terry incident (the Sky footage hasn’t shown it again since it happened). Terry kneed Sanchez in the back — for no reason. Sanchez started to fall down, waved his hand at the assistant referee to make sure he saw it, and then fell to the ground to sell it.
Stupid decision by Terry. I can only guess that he was trying to make up for something Sanchez did to him earlier in the match. But awful lapse of concentration from Terry.
Cheers,
The Gaffer
it is gonna be a siege in the second half, chelsea will set up camp
What a fantastic through ball and an equally lovely finish by Ramires. I was talking about him the other day with friends about how this guy is the unsong hero for Chelsea. Boy! has he proved me right.
Chelsea is facing a huge task in the second half if they’re going to try to defend against Barcelona without their central defenders of Cahill and Terry.
Essien is on the bench. I think Di Matteo should bring him as a makeshift defender. He’s played in the back for Chelsea before.
Cheers,
The Gaffer
it was a classic english league goal, the splitting pass from midfield. again not a chelski fan , at ALL but that pass just split them open.
45 minutes of blitzkrieg coming up. Defend your heart out Chelsea. PARK THE BUS!
The Cahill injury has consequences beyond today. Newcastle, Spurs, and Arsenal won’t mind.
Well, this could be an interesting half.
I think Chelsea will need another goal to go through. Can’t see them not conceding.
Omg. Messi missed. I could be Chelsea’s night
what are chelsea thinking? these are experienced players.
ooohhh you lucky b@#$^&s
Here comes very convenient penalty for Barca … with Messi failing to score. It looks almost like Barcelona are in an uphill battle against themselves.
gary neville sounds like Karl Pilkington, can’t take him seriously
They’re both mancs, that’s how they sound
Gary Neville is a great color-commentary guy. And he’s just getting his career started. Pilkington is not an apt comparison.
even if chelsea pul of a miracle and get to the final, they will miss, terry, ramires and invanivic. and the is still 30 mins left.
If Chelsea get to the final, no Ramires, no Ivanovic, and no Terry. And who knows about Cahill at this point. Running out of players…
Hey Fernando Torres is available.
Strangely enough Chelsea are growing in confidence and Barca seems to be running out of ideas. They haven’t had any clear cut chances since missed penalty.
WOW no yellow on drogba for deliberate handball? Then smartly Chelsea quickly subs him off. LOL
This is a great, tense game!
Post AGAIN! What a game!
They hit the woodwork AGAIN! How many is that in two matches?
barca are just to slow when they have it, just walking around. that will suit chelski fine, there is no urgency, chelsea are used to a much faster pace.
wow
Who said Chelsea were toast?! Oh, wait………
GO CHELSEA!!! What a defensive display!!! The best I have seen!!!
I take it Di Matteo gets to keep the job now…but it’s going to be a very different side in the final as Meireles is out for the final as well.
DAMN Gary Neville is gonna me root for Real in the final. This crap about how English football deserves it.
Great game tho it was lucky, tense it was brilliant and it was heroic! Great Game!
so cech and torres vs RM?
Incidentally as a Newcastle supporter I’ll probably be rooting for Chelsea to lose the final. A Chelsea win puts them in the CL again next year along with Man U and City, leaving Arsenal, Newcastle and Spurs to fight over 1 spot instead of 2…
ill be rooting against chelski because they are dirty, which is why they will miss 4 players in the final.
Come on Jose, make it happen!
You should probably start pretending to be a Chelsea supporter. Your rooting against Chelsea seems to bring them quite a bit of luck…
yeah thats what it is LOL, maybe its just wearing off, it worked when they lost in the final on penalties. i hope when it matters my rooting against them pays off crunch time.
Congrats to Chelsea, as a neutral I would have rather seen Barca in the finals… they’re the only team that would have been able to beat Real… now this will be be a lopsided final, but still a good result for the EPL today.
Chelsea will beat madrid, madrid don’t have that awe about them that Barca have and English teams have a good record against them, especially over the last 10 years
Will they? How good are the academy players that will have to play in the final?? With the suspensions and injuries Chelsea will have a very difficult time at best…
I’m sorry. Did Munich forfeit the tie? Last I heard Real still had to play them.
Bitterness aside for a second… well done Chelsea. Much respect for coming through that. First and last time I’ll ever say that!
I can’t believe you said that!
LOL
haha I know… I do feel a bit dirty now. Anyway who needs a European Cup they’re so overrated, after winning 5 of them we’ll settle for an FA Cup this year!
Congrats to Chelsea. Not a fan but job well done.