Chelsea came back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with European champions Barcelona at the Nou Camp, to send themselves through to the Champions League final with a 3-2 aggregate victory.
Red
What was even more impressive was the fact the Blues did it with ten men, after captain John Terry was sent-off in first half for kneeing Barcelona forward Alexis Sanchez in the back.
The sending off seemed to spur on the Chelsea team even further to achieve one of the most unlikely results in the history of the Champions League.
Destiny
Chelsea really did ride their luck at times and it almost seemed like destiny that Chelsea would progress into the final. Barcelona hit the woodwork in both legs and didn’t take chances that would usually be taken.
Its like Chelsea have a little blue guardian angel out there, somewhere looking out for them. With everything that’s happened to Chelsea in the two legs it seemed it was their destiny for them to reach the final.
Spirit
The Chelsea players showed fantastic determination and team spirit. They were playing one of the best teams club football has ever seen and with ten men for much of the game. Not only were they reduced to ten men but they also lost Gary Cahill.
The loss of Terry and Cahill meant that Portuguese full-back Jose Bosingwa had to deputise alongside Serbian Branislav Ivanovic in the centre of defence. Ivanovic has played there in the past but I don’t think I have ever seen Bosingwa play at centre-back .
However both were outstanding as they withstood attack, after attack. The luck they got was the luck they deserved for their efforts. Chelsea’s first goal from Brazilian midfielder Ramires was also fantastic.
Experience
In the end the likes of likes Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole used all their experience to help their team to an extraordinary victory. All three were outstanding. Cole lead by example at times at full-back.
Lampard chased every ball in midfield and competed against some of the worlds best midfielders. I have to say though that despite giving away the dubious penalty, Didier Drogba was the pick of the Chelsea players for me.
He was playing as the lone striker but he spent a lot of his time in his own half working hard for his teammates and covering his full-backs. If the final is his last game for Chelsea then it will be a fitting end for one of Chelsea’s modern greats.
Incredible
I don’t think I have seen a more incredible Champions League match in my lifetime. It had absolutely everything. A red card, a penalty miss and the underdogs coming back from two goals down to beat the European Champions on their own soil, just incredible.
Unfortunate
One dampener on the evening is the fact that four of Chelsea’s regular starters will now miss the final. John Terry will miss the final because of last nights red card, Raul Meireles, goal scorer Ramires and defensive rock Branislav Ivanovic will also miss the final after receiving their third yellow cards in the competition.
It’s a blow for Chelsea but the way the Blues have battled their way through already you wouldn’t back against them in the final, whoever plays for them in Munich.
Redemption
When striker Fernando Torres came off the substitutes bench I always felt like it could be a big moment for him. It turned out my feeling was correct. The Spanish international scored an injury-time goal to confirm Chelsea’s place in the Champions League final.
The goal was some redemption for the much criticised striker. I have felt sorry for the £50million man because of his struggles at Chelsea. I just hope that this can kick-start his Blues career and he can go on to be a success at Stamford Bridge.
Different
Even as a big fan of the way that Barcelona play football it was evident last night that they simply have no plan b. The team refuses to play a different style, no matter what the circumstances. Now that is all well and good when you are winning games easily but every team needs an alternative.
Some of the greatest teams in the history of the game have had to resort to plan b and that’s why they are considered great. However Barcelona have been undone twice in Champions League semi-finals by the same sort of defensive tactics and simply had no answer to them.
Boss
Interim Chelsea boss Roberto Di Matteo has done a fantastic job at Chelsea since being promoted from his backroom role. He has managed to put the belief back in the players and brought them together like other managers failed to do.
After this victory and leading Chelsea to the Champions League final can Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich really ignore Di Matteo’s claims to be permanent Chelsea boss? If they win the competition he certainly won’t be able to and the way Chelsea performed last night, I certainly wouldn’t put it past them.
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