Barça and Chelsea have drawn 0-0

Barça and Chelsea have drawn 0-0 in the first leg of their Champions League semi final. In an intense encounter that Barça largely controlled, the two goalkeepers proved decisive with some crucial saves.

With a veritable constellation of stars out on the Camp Nou pitch, and the Barça temple packed to the rafters with a capacity crowd of 95,231 spectators, this game had all the hallmarks of being a classic Champions League encounter. But although the players didn’t disappoint, the goals failed to come, with both sides fully aware that are another 90 minutes to play in London next week. Barça played their trademark attacking football in a highly ordered fashion, but although they enjoyed far more of the possession, the best chance of the first half fell to Didier Drogba, who was twice denied by an impeccable Victor Valdés.

Barça then suffered a nightmare after the restart, with Ballack coming close and then Márquez being stretchered off the field with a serious meniscus injury. Guardiola’s side gradually got their game back, and on several occasions brought the very best out of an impressive Petr Cech. Chelsea spent most of the second half shut inside their own half, and managed to achieve what appeared to be their most seriously pursued objective, escaping from the Camp Nou with a clean sheet.

Ball on the ground

Barça did not take long to realise that Chelsea are an immensely physical outfit, with a rock-solid midfield, and with the visitors so strong in the air, it was important to keep the ball on the ground, where the Barça players feel more at home. Xavi and Iniesta once against orchestrated the action, supported all the way by an immense Touré. The home side was gaining ground fast, and putting pressure not only on the visiting defence, but even on their keeper Cech. It was a Xavi effort from outside the area that skimmed the post that was the nearest Barça came to scoring in the first half.

Barça played it deep and seemed far more willing to play the waiting game than they have done in recent matches, but looked comfortable enough controlling the possession and looking for ways through the Chelsea defence, with Henry making the most dangerous runs down the left. It was the Frenchman who showed the way forward with a rifled long shot in the 33rd minute that Chelsea’s Czech international keeper dealt with expertly.

Drogba danger

Hiddink’s side looked to break the rhythm of the game with constant interruptions, which also turned up the heat on an intriguing game. And it was Chelsea that came closest to breaking the deadlock. In the 38th minute, Drogba intercepted a mistimed backpass from Márquez and found himself one on one with Valdés, who heroically blocked the Ivorian’s first effort and then bounced back to his feet to palm away the rebound. It was thanks to that flash of brilliance from the Barça keeper that the sides were still on level terms at the break.

Calamitous restart

Chelsea continued applying pressure after the restart, with a Ballack header only narrowly floating over the bar. It was not the start to the half that Barça could have wished for, and then in a thumping clash in the air, Henry ended up semi-conscious on the floor – he managed to recover and play on, but he never looked quite the same after the incident. Matters soon became even worse. While running alone, Rafa Márquez trod awkwardly, damaged his meniscus, and was carried off the field.

Fighting spirit

Barça were struggling, and it was time for the fans to pick the side up, and the delicate situation was soon behind them as they once against started producing the kind of football we know and love. Messi sent an effort only slightly too high, and then Cech produced yet more brilliance to prevent both Alves in the 61st minute, and Samuel Eto’o following an tremendous 69th minute run, from putting Barça into the lead.

Frantic to the end

With the deadlock unbroken, the final minutes of the game saw both sides throwing everything they had into the game. Barça were carrying the possession, and always looked the more likely side to score, but Chelsea’s rapid counter attack was always a very real threat. But when the ninety minutes were up, the Premiership side opted to defend en masse and see out the five minutes of stoppage time, although both Hleb, with his head, and Bojan, with his feet, enjoyed splendid chances. But luck was not on their side, and there is still everything to play for when these two sides meet again next week at Stamford Bridge.

by Jordi Clos

Barcelona to the semi-final Champions League

Barca will meet in the next round with Chelsea, who qualified at the expense of fellow Liverpool.

Match Events

In front of 65 thousand spectators in the Stadium “Allianz Arena” Bayern Munich Tried to leave at least a moral victory protects the humiliating loss to go (zero -4).

Bayern Start the game  in the absence of midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger due to injury, returned to the ranks in Brazil, Lucio, Philipp Lahm after it missed the first leg because of injury.

On the other hand, played the game in the absence of the Barcelona striker Thierry Henry because of the Flu.

Bayern show they mean serious

A Luca Toni header on 5 minutes and a Ribery effort on 13 showed Bayern meant business and they funnelled their attacks down Barca’s right, where Alves and Messi began a titanic struggle with Lahm and Ribery. Barca were playing with the same intensity and aggression that they had shown in the first leg and were cleverly drawing Bayern’s fire by keeping the ball away from their area and bringing the attacking trio of Iniesta and Eto’o and Messi into the mix as much as possible.

Although they managed few shots on target, Barca were a constant threat to Butt’s goal with Alves coming closest on 37 minutes. Bayern’s attacking options through Toni were being snuffed out by the dominant Barca defence, though he did have a single chance just before half time.

Ribery puts Bayern ahead

Bayern came out of the traps fastest in the second half and almost immediately Ribery put them one up, getting behind the Barca defence, dribbling past Valdes and firing home for the first goal. Barca kept their cool though and just a minute later Messi could have drawn them level, just failing to latch onto a venomous Alves cross.

Keita Impression

As the pace quickened though, Barca were more clearly in their element and it was no real surprise when a lovely passing move involving Iniesta, Xavi and Eto’o ended with Keita firing home from outside the box to equalise. With the tie virtually done and dusted, both teams searched for a win in the game, but without success and Barac were able to secure their semi-final berth with a convincing 5-1 aggregate win.

Now, it’s only Chelsea who stand in their way of another European Final as Guardiola’s team confirmed the club’s place in the elite of the European game.

Barcelona welcome Bayern Munich to the Camp Nou

BARCELONA 4 BAYERN 0

Barça brilliance turns tables on Bayern

Goals from Lionel Messi (2), Samuel Eto’o and Thierry Henry left Juergen Klinsmann’s team reeling at the break, but they dug in and managed to keep the Catalan club at bay in the second period.

The falling rain made the playing surface quick, but Barça’s passing and movement were even slicker.

It was a stunning first-half showing by the home team. From the first moments Bayern could not get the ball off an energised Barca, with the ball going through talismanic right-sided attacker Messi almost every minute.

Barça were into their stride from the first whistle and, even before Messi’s ninth-minute opener, a lovely interchange of passes between Daniel Alves, Xavi Hernández and Henry allowed the latter to round Butt. Martín Demichelis cleared off the line but the respite was brief for a Bayern defence already deprived of Lucio and Daniel Van Buyten and with a calf injury restricting Philipp Lahm to a place on the bench. Within moments Andrés Iniesta dribbled past Hamit Altıntop and Eto’o held off Breno before setting Messi free to slide past Butt for his seventh strike in eight UEFA Champions League matches this season.

After only nine minutes Pep Guardiola’s side took the lead through Messi. Andres Iniesta wheeled across the final third and got the ball to Eto’o, who played in the young Argentina star; he characteristically finished low inside the far post.

Barely three further minutes passed before it was two: Eto’o sprinted through on to a clever reverse pass by Messi and finished under Butt to send the home fans wild. Bayern appealed in vain for an offside flag, and indeed the Cameroon striker was level when the ball was played.

Champions League Quarter-Final Draw Revealed

The draw for the quarter-finals of the Champions League was announced earlier this morning. The games to be played April 7/8 and April 14/15 are:

• Villarreal v Arsenal
• Manchester United v FC Porto
• Liverpool v Chelsea
• Barcelona v Bayern Munich

The chances of having Three English teams in the semi-final were increased by Arsenal being paired against Villarreal, the Spanish yellow submarine side who almost beat them a few years ago, and Man United  will take on 2004 winners FC Porto while Chelsea  and Liverpool  are matched again in the quarter-finals after the draw for the remainder of the competition was made  in Nyon.

The match between Liverpool and Chelsea will be one of the biggest talking points. It seems that the two clubs are inseparable almost like twin brothers who are always fighting against each other. While Chelsea is definitely capable of winning, the psychological advantage in this two-legged encounter will definitely favor Liverpool — especially in the Champions League where Liverpool is more superior.

Barcelona 2006 champ and Dream of  Tripartite  this Season against Bayern Munich who want to repeat the scenario against Real Madrid.

What do you Think and What’s your opinion about the draw? And based on the quarter-final matchups, who do you think will qualify for the semi-finals, could be three English teams in the semi final again?

Click the comments link below and share your opinion

Barcelona vs Bayern Munich in the quarter finals

FC Barcelona will play Bayern Munich in the quarter finals of the Champions League with the first leg being played at Camp Nou on April 8 and the second game at the Allianz Arena on April 14.

The Blaugrana were the seventh name out of the hat at the draw in Switzerland on Friday, which means that they will play the second leg away, and that was quickly followed by Bayern’s name.

Liverpool or Chelsea in the semi finals

If Pep Guardiola’s side defeat the Bundesliga outfit then they will be at home first in the semi finals too and will play the winner of the tie between Liverpool and Chelsea. The first leg of the semi final will be on April 28 and the second game on May 6 .

Bayern unbeaten

Bayern Munich have had an almost perfect Champions League campaign this term and they showed how good they can be in the previous round by winning 0-5 against Sporting Clube in Lisbon before a 7-1 victory in the Allianz Arena gave Jürgen Klinsmann’s team a 12-1 aggregate triumph.

In the group stage, Bayern played Olympique Lyon, Fiorentina and Steaua Bucharest and it was between them and Lyon until the last game as to who would finish top of the group. The decision was made after the Bavarian club won in France 2-3 .

UEFA Champions League

champion league

Who’s gonna be The Champ ?

Watch the Champions League quarter-final draw LIVE on BarcaTV !

The draw will be held at 12.00  on Friday.

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