While much of the focus of late has been on the intriguing title battle in England, seemingly now heading the way of the defending champs, in Spain, there has been an equally thrilling race building over the past few months.
Just before Christmas, Barcelona, having just won the season’s first Clasico, appeared to have wrestled the title back from their major rival, Real.
Having already established a twelve point lead, with Madrid seemingly in disarray after Juande Ramos had taken over from Bernd Schuster on the eve of the match, you would have been dubbed mad if you thought Real would host Barca at the start of May and be only four points adrift, with a big sniff of the title.
Remarkably, Ramos, the man deemed surplus to requirements at White Hart Lane and hounded out of London, took Real on a run after that loss in the Nou Camp which saw them win 17 from 18 games (an astonishing 52 from 54 points) heading into this latest Super Clasico instalment.
Admittedly, Barca’s form hadn’t been two shabby over the same period (14 wins from 18 and goal-getting records galore being smashed by the likes of Eto’o, Messi and Henry), but the odd slip up, in comparison to Real’s near perfect undefeated run, meant the gap had narrowed by eight points ahead of this return bout.
Naturally, there were some very nervous Barca fans the world over, such is the mindset in following a team that too often plays bridesmaid. No doubt the nerves had been compounded by an inability to breach Hiddink’s yellow brick wall at home mid-week.
Suddenly, Pep Guardiola and his men were feeling the heat on two of their three fronts (they also play in the Copa Del Rey final against Athletic Bilbao this month), so Sunday morning’s game (our time) would provide some insight into their resolve.
It was nervous times early, but after conceding the first it was time to flick the switch, and what wonderful light illuminated when they did.
Soon Messi, Henry and Xavi were running the show, Xavi and Messi picking up the ball centrally, Henry toying with Sergio Ramos down the left, and Eto’o getting in behind Heinze on the other flank.
While we’re used to seeing Messi on the flank in the Champions League, possibly to keep him away from the traffic and physical battles in the middle, here he was deployed centrally, and he often picked up a spot in between the twin screeners (Diarra and Gago) and the central defenders (Cannavaro and Metzelder) to devastating effect.
Real had no answer, as Messi jinked and linked. His telepathic understanding with Xavi was something to behold, and had it not been for some outstanding work from the world’s premier keeper, Casillas, it might have been double figures, and that’s before the break.
On paper, Real can’t touch this Barca outfit. On the field, they couldn’t get within a mile.
All and sundry were rushing to write off Guardiola’s men after Chelsea managed to blunt them in the first leg of their UCL semi final. For mine, I felt Hiddink erred in not having a crack at Barca for at least a fifteen minute period.
Nil all isn’t bad, but an away goal would have provided a more compelling case to deem the Chelsea strategy a resounding success.
The thing is, at home, in the second leg, Chelsea might eventually have to come out a bit, and that will provide the likes of Messi, Xavi and Iniesta with exactly what they want, the space to toy with the Chelsea rearguard.
Hiddink’s best bet, you sense, might be to sit back and wait, for set pieces and maybe even for penalties, for there is little doubt that an open game would benefit the visitors, as Real learnt, especially if Messi has even a quarter of the influence he had here.
If Chelsea does park the bus again, Barca must show far more poise than they did in the first leg. They must demonstrate they have the class and patience to burst the Blues banks and win ugly when things aren’t quite going their way.
However, if the La Liga game was any guide, they’re well up for the task, and I, for one, am prepared to say they’ll do it.
But even if they don’t get beyond the Blues of London, it certainly won’t stop me being among the first to queue for tickets to these proposed blockbusters against the Sky Blues of Sydney and Navy Blues of Melbourne.
Now that would be breathtaking stuff indeed.
dasilva
Roar Guru
I started the game supporting Barcelona and felt they were quite unlucky at home and only poor finishing and incredibly cynical fouling from Chelsea saved them However in this match I felt sorry for Hiddink He outsmarted Guardiola in this match. Barcelona had virtually zero shots on target and Chelsea had the most chances and should of have a penalty or two against Barca. Chelsea may have congested the midfield and play 9-10 men behind the ball but it worked and it is a legitimate tactic (and also they were slightly more attacking then what Manchester United did to Barcalona last year at home as well) Towards the end just when I was resigned to the fact that the better team won until Iniesta scored that wonderstrike. It was get out of jail strike and I can't really say Barca really deserved it.
Kazama
Roar Guru
I'd like to comment about the game but I think I will probably be called a sore loser so I won't. At least now everyone will be happy because they got the final they wanted.
MVDave
Roar Rookie
Not breathtaking....Barca were lucky, no question. One shot on goal and that was in the 93rd minute. Chelski should have had the game finished off well before and had at least one penalty. Although the behaviour of some players at the end, whilst understandable, was disgraceful.
Art Sapphire
Guest
For everyone's sake the three must play together. Can't wait to see the team photo. At least AIG can afford to insure their good looks.
Slippery Jim
Guest
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/may/05/manchester-united-franck-ribery-bayern-munich-cristiano-ronaldo This picture of him makes him look like a cross between a cyclops and the hunchback of notre dame! Tevez will probably be gone next season if the romours are correct.
Art Sapphire
Guest
Man U will have the ugliest midfield in the history of football! Ribery, Rooney, Tevez! AAAAHHHH!!
Slippery Jim
Guest
Jimbo, I wonder if Fergie will hide Ribery under a blanket in the back of his car this time if he buys him lol!
jimbo
Guest
footstop, ManU are going to put in a world record bid for Franck Ribery to cover for Ronaldo if he decides to leave.
Slippery Jim
Guest
Vicentin, the referee for the Chelsea Barca match tomorrow morning is a Norwegian, Tom Henning Ovrebo.
jimbo
Guest
MVDave aka The Real Dave, well done ManU and I hope Chelsea can make the final too and extract some revenge for last year on you obnoxious, evil and arrogant Red Devils.
foolstop
Guest
MV dave. ours was a moral vicotry over the forces of the (red) devil. but we got smacked. hopefully with Real hoping to reignite their hold on second spot for next season by putting in amassive bid for Ronaldo, Man Utd's team will end up struggling for inspiration, hair product and posturing rights.
MVDave
Roar Rookie
David V "Arsenal v Barcelona will be a great advertisement for the game. A final free of the obnoxiousness, evil and arrogance that characterised the previous year’s finalists." Ha Ha Ha any other pearls of wisdom? Arsenal 1 Man U 3 The words destroyed and champions come to mind...no evilness or obnoxiousness...but yeah why not sing when you're winning eh David! :
Colin N
Guest
I find it very hard to enjoy Barcelona games simply because of the antics of their players. I always feel sorry for players when they get injured and maybe out for several months, but I wasn't bothered when Marquez injured himself, because all he did was try and get Chelsea players booked and complain with the ref. That went for most of the Barce players. Dani Alves and Drogba had a great competition going on, seeing who could feign injury the most, and in turn, get opposition players booked. I get the feeling that Barce players think they are the only team on the field sometimes, and don't seem to have any respect for other teams. I think the referee had an excellent game last week, and I found it very amusing when he booked Yaya Toure for disent, yet he still carried on complaining, like most of the other Barce players. I thought most of Chelsea's challenges were fair last week. They should try playing in League Two or the Blue Square Premier. I went to see Grimsby v Macclesfield at the weekend and the contest was very physical and a player was also rightly booked for diving. I also watched on Setanta Histon v Torquay and a player was litterally shouldered (a tackle you would more likely see in Rugby League), but the player wasn't even booked. Had the ref seen it, he probably would have been sent off, but the player or the supporters didn't make a meal of it. Anyway, back to Chelsea-they were hard but fair last week, and the guy who called Terry a thug, why is he so? To me Barcelona are the thugs, the ones who try and con their way to victory, by diving and conning the referee to victory.
jimbo
Guest
Come on you guys - you talk about Chelsea and ManU like they are the biffo and bash kings of world football and Barthelona and Le Arse are the prima donnas of world football. Chelsea and ManU are also two of the most exciting football teams in the world to watch and it will not diminish the attraction of the European Champions League final one iota if Barthelona and Le Arse fail to make the final. Chelsea would be leading the EPL by a bigger margin than Barthelona if Gus Hiddink had been the manager from the start of the season. They only had a slump due to managerial problems and major injuries to their best players at inopportune times. On their day, Chelsea are the best team in the EPL and will make Barthelona look like a bunch of mere mortals. ManU will wipe Le Arse with their shirt tails.
Tony Tannous
Expert
Thanks all for your comments and feedback. Adam, I agree, it'll be fascinating to see what Pep does with his formation and whether he keeps Messi in the middle and away from the double-team on the flank, which worked so effectively first leg. Of course, if he does play central, there is the risk Chelsea will crowd the space and that Essien will shadow him everywhere he goes, as we saw against Liverpool and Stevie G. If he plays higher up however, you're right, he could pull Terry or Alex out, and open some space for Iniesta and Xavi, who have both been getting into the box more often. I'll never forget the day 3 years ago that Messi really announced himself to the world. It was at Stamford Bridge, on a terrible pitch, and he absolutely burnt two left backs, Del Horno (did Messi mess his career?) and Ferreira, forcing Mourinho to shift a third left back (Geremi) onto him that night. This was my wrap at the time; http://roundballanalyst.blogspot.com/2006/02/messi-pitch-not-for-this-craftsmen.html There's little doubt in my mind Chelsea will apply all their physical strength to try and upset Barca's passing momentum. That's not necessarily dirty, just physical. Barca have to deal with this if they are to be the best. But there's no doubt Roman has brought Hiddink in for one reason only, to win 'Big Ears'. He won two domestic titles under Mourinho, but the one that escapes him is Europe. He craves it, so theres as much pressure on Hiddink as there is on Barca. As for the other semi, I'd be mighty surprised if Man Utd didn't out-muscle the Gunners again. Thought it was Men against Boys in the first leg, with Adebayor, Fabregas and Nasri not doing enough, and if Man Utd show anywhere near the form they did that night, watch out.
Millster
Guest
Art - I forgive you in that condescending arrogant French way of mone :-)
Slippery Jim
Guest
Brian, I'm certainly no expert on Zimbabwean football, but African players are often bloody good! What makes you think the A-League clubs are so much better? Just curious.
Art Sapphire
Guest
Sorry Millster - forgive my oversight on Karembeu. I forgot you might catch onto to this thread and omitting any reference to a Les Bleus player when given the oppotunity is unforgivable. Its a good thing he did not play for PSG, otherwise I really would have been in the stink. He did though play for Olympiakos and all the brownie points he got playing for France evaporated as soon as he put on the red and white :)
Millster
Guest
Art - of course Karembeau was also an integral par of the glorious 1998 world cup winning French team.
Millster
Guest
I agree too that Kewell can feel hard done by. But I am glad of any and all accolades that Wynton Rufer gets. He is simply, on achievements, one of the 2 best sportsman to have come out of Australia and NZ combined in our histories, the other being Rod Laver.