Interesting first half - Barçelona restricted to shots from the edge of the box - Messi has shown glimpses of brilliance, but only once or twice - Chelsea have kept him quiet, and one yellow for Bosingwa was a cert before the game.
Chelsea have been physical and have worked hard, and have kept Barça at bay - Barçelona keeping the ball well but not doing much other than the edge of the box shot.
Drogba should have scored his one chance, and they could rue that miss opportunity.
Disappointed with Chech's distribution - 7-8 times he's hoofed it to Valdes and Chelsea feeding on scraps - need to keep the ball a bit better.
0-0 at half time

Hleb and Bojan both had chances to seal a win for Barçelona late in the game, but a poor header and a great save kept it 0-0. Chech did well in terms of shot stopping - very well.

Chelsea were industrious across the middle of the park - making Barça play sideways and kept Messi very quiet and forcing him inside all the time - he didnt test Bosingwa much at all. It was a good performance by Chelsea and Barça will be disappointed they wasted their few chances.

Drogba should have scored late on in the first half and what a priceless goal that could have been.

Interesting to see Chelsea's approach next week.

Ref was superb - even didnt send Ballack off when he should have - must be a german german thing lol

Very comfortable n good tactics from Hiddink - Frank ran his ass off n Drogba was brilliant - should have scored - but so should that young kid at the end.

Clean sheet n a game back the bridge - win n go through - we will see

Ref could have sent off Ballack but Puyol was lucky as well. Thought Chelsea must have watched how United handled Messi last year, don't let him get outside of you and force him in side where your centre backs can restrict his space and movement. Barcelona had all the possession but it doesn't mean much when it is in the middle of the pitch. Job well done. Puts Chelsea in great shape to reach the final.

On Messi....now what does the world think?

He plys his trade in one of the worlds easiest leagues for attacking players, certainly the easiest of the top 3 or 4 leagues. Of course he scores hatfuls of goals. I think now, he has failed to score and impress against every English team he has played against apart from the once against Chelsea (when he got del Horno sent off). He has failed to impress against the biggest teams in Europe.

He is inevitably compared to Ronaldo, who has begun to impress or at least deliver in these big games.

For many a day I have said Messi is overrated because of his weak league. Now it is proven.

Would not say it is proven, although he hasn't done anything in the big games for Barcelona in the Champions league. He is given more space and time on the ball and doesn't have to put up with the physical play of the Premier in Spain. I don't think he would do as well in the Premier, he still be a great player though.

I dont see what your point is here Tick.

First of all, you back me up, in saying that Chelsea are one of the best club teams in Europe, simply a team Messi cannot exploit. If he was as good as people say he is, why can he not?

Ronaldo might not have bothered Chelsea, and this is about right, given that if Chelsea adapt their plans to accomodate a single player, be it Ronaldo or Messi, they should succeed. A world class team making specific plans to stop a single player should succeed. If not, they are not a world class team. The extra attention you give a player like Ronaldo, allows us the freedom elsewhere on the pitch. Recent meetings have been in Utds favour, albeit marginally (except for the 3-0).

Ronaldo has those extra attributes that sees him score in ways that cannot be prevented. A 40 yard goal against Porto, a header against Chelsea in the CL final...instrumental in our defeat of the blues. Messi does not have this and never will.


Generally, my point is, that Messi does not have exposure to such tough defences week in, week out and so his abilities are overstated. He is not as good as peole say he is. He is not as complete a player as Ronaldo is, regardless of form or anything else. And if Messi were a Premier League player he would face the same struggles that skilful players like Ronaldo, Torres and more face week in, week out and he would be a better player for it. Until then, he cannot hope to make a difference in these big games.

Perhaps I rambled a bit there, but nonetheless I am sticking to my view that Messi is overrated. He did nothing against you this week and did nothing against us over two legs last year. I'll be ready to be proven wrong at the Bridge next week, but my money is firmly on another Chelsea clean sheet.

It would be great to see him in the Premier League because then we will be able to see how overrated he is. But since his ties to Barca make that very unlikely, for now, he can continue to excel in Europes B-league.

Anyone think Bosingwa will keep his position in the return leg?

I cant remember if it was the Sky Sports guys or ITV guys who were saying that he did such a good job, and the fact that it was a right footer on the left side which made Messi easier to track - but with A.Cole now available - would Hiddink think about not changing - or would he take the home advantage which he now has to play a more attacking style to win the game?

And will it be pretty much the same or would you expect Chelsea to force the issue in an attacking sense?

Do you adapt to Messi again? I guess in some way you are forced to, but you'd expect Chelsea to set up where they can attack more keeping in mind controlling Messi.

It will require a huge performance from Chelsea - something which they have shown they are more than capable of.

I think Cole will take Messi with Essian playing left side.

I think the game will be a shoot out with the team scoring 4 going through.

It was 4-2 last time in the best champions league game ever - played at a standard not seen before or since all over europe - and we need to keep all our players on the pitch.

Ermmm

Tha chances of it staying 1-0 too Chelsea are.. ?!

Because Mr magic that i am..

put Essien to score 1st.. and 1-0 too Chelsea..

and the lads just scored 1st. did it at 80-1

Plzz stay 1-0 :/