UEFA Champions League/Europa League 24/25/26 April *** Spoilers ***

People really do talk some ****, Inter milan literally, and Mourinho said this as did the players, had a plan to kick the ball to the Barca keeper with NO intention of chasing after it, they meant to play 11 behind the ball until late in the game and intentional meant to kick it to no one.

Chelsea didn't do this, all teams clear it now and then in desperation but Chelsea got forward, quite often, not enough but so what.

Drogba also didn't dive an awful lot in the game he made a massive meal of staying down when he was injured.... and most of that time was added back on and made no difference. He dived a couple times, but no more than Busquets, and several Barca players also made the most of their contact and stayed down rolling around.

Diving and getting people booked is one thing, I don't think Drogba got anyone booked, and the "main" time he went down, he didn't claim for a freekick or ask for a yellow, he just feel awkwardly on Puyol's trailing leg, as in, his nuts got squashed on Puyol's studs, I'd like to see any of you not stay down for a while after that.

Did they play great football, no, did Barca... not really. Do they deserve to be there, more than the teams they beat in the group and previous knock out stage surely?

If they beat Barca, their defence will have beaten Barca's attack, why is that less valid than their attack beating Barca's defence?
 
drunkenmaster said:
If they beat Barca, their defence will have beaten Barca's attack, why is that less valid than their attack beating Barca's defence?
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Everyone who tries to play more glamourous attacking football than Barcelona will just get outclassed and played off the pitch.

I have to agree that expecting Chelsea to outplay barcelona is asking too much. Pretty much every team who plays Barca has to just defend. Chelsea did it well at the bridge with 90% of the stadium behind them.

Will be interesting if they can keep up their motivation and focus with 90% of the stadium singing those catalonian anthems.
 
drunkenmaster said:
If they beat Barca, their defence will have beaten Barca's attack, why is that less valid than their attack beating Barca's defence?
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I think a big thing that people are complaining about though is the fact that Chelsea's defence didn't beat Barca's attack, it was more a fact of Barca's attack on the night beating Barca's usual attacking brilliance :p.

Barca had quite a few relatively easy chances that they didn't convert didn't they?

I am personally hoping Chelsea lose as I was recently in Spain and bought myself a pair of Barca shorts :D, and as an Aussie I don't really need to align myself with any one team hahah. I will be happier though seeing a good game of football and fully understand that a good game of football against Barca will consist of a resolute defence by the opposing team.
 
FNGsam said:
I think a big thing that people are complaining about though is the fact that Chelsea's defence didn't beat Barca's attack, it was more a fact of Barca's attack on the night beating Barca's usual attacking brilliance :p.

Barca had quite a few relatively easy chances that they didn't convert didn't they?

I am personally hoping Chelsea lose as I was recently in Spain and bought myself a pair of Barca shorts :D, and as an Aussie I don't really need to align myself with any one team hahah. I will be happier though seeing a good game of football and fully understand that a good game of football against Barca will consist of a resolute defence by the opposing team.
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Totaly agree. Cesec had chances that even carrol would scored. If barca would have had less chances then yea all credit to chelsea defence, but it wasn't that way.
 
elmuzzy66. said:
Totaly agree. Cesec had chances that even carrol would scored. If barca would have had less chances then yea all credit to chelsea defence, but it wasn't that way.
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If it had been Villa in those positions and not Cesc, I think the outcome would have been very different.

Still, you'd expect him to score. I do believe DM was calling him a better finisher than Messi at one point.
 
Fabregas has been scoring those chances all season, as has Sanchez with the one that hit the bar. Just one of those nights, nothing more
 
G-MAN2004 said:
It's not as if they had a choice is it? I think if they didn't play that way then they would be going into this second leg about 5-0 down.
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Madrid can do it. Milan almost done it. If Chelski are a big club like they claim they should be doing it as well.

I know most wont agree but call me a purist (and yes it annoys me when Newcastle park the bus, though we have only done that twice this year and deservedly lost both times)
 
Robbo said:
If it had been Villa in those positions and not Cesc, I think the outcome would have been very different.

Still, you'd expect him to score. I do believe DM was calling him a better finisher than Messi at one point.
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I think you'll find I said he was playing like Messi, same role, and similar finishing.

Oh wait, we're back to the whole "top players never miss" myth of ridiculous proportions.

Messi and Ronaldo are both excellent finishers, they both miss multiple chances every game, they both overplay and miss chances all the time(just like Aguero... whoever that was, I can't remember :p ). One of the biggest reasons Ronaldo and Messi score so much is, they shoot more than anyone else by a massive margin.

Messi has taken 176 shots already, Ronaldo 234, Falcao with 22 goals vs just over 40 for the other two, has taken 113 shots. Messi has only got 89 on target and has scored less than half of them. Ronaldo also, quite ridiculously also has 89 on target, and has scored one more than Messi.

THe very best players in the world..... miss all the freaking time, anyone who thinks otherwise is living in some bizarro land. Of course, Bale 44 shots in 10 games without a goal, or Suarez's poor strike rate(116 shots, 8 goals... lol by comparison :p ).

Either way, Cesc actually hasn't been scoring all year, he started off fantastically well, and that was in large part as he was played more upfront with Messi in his right wing/coming inside role. For most of the past 3-4 months Messi has been more of a deep striker and Cesc has played deeper in midfield or wide left now and then, however he hasn't really had his shooting boots on. He's scored 9 in 43 shots in the league, which is very close to Messi's conversion rate.

That's also ignoring the fact that if Cole hadn't done brilliantly well to clear Cesc's shot from the line people would have said it was a brilliant Messi like goal, and Busquet's and Sanchez's misses were the worst in the game.
 
4-1 barca.

I really want chelsea to win this, I detest Barca and would love to see Chelsea take this by rolling all over the park like Barca normally do (messi being an exception).
 
Can't see Chelsea going through if they play like they did at home. Even though they won, they still got torn to shreds and should have lost 3-1.

Looking at the team sheet, its again very negative and it looks like they will just defend for their lives.

They can't do that if they go a goal down? Plan b?
 
Robert1986 said:
Can't see Chelsea going through if they play like they did at home. Even though they won, they still got torn to shreds and should have lost 3-1.

Looking at the team sheet, its again very negative and it looks like they will just defend for their lives.

They can't do that if they go a goal down? Plan b?
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What do you expect them to do? Field all attacking players and go for the throat?

They're going to need a calm and measured game plan, and try and hit them on the break while keeping it extremely tight.

One minor lapse of concentration tonight and Chelsea are out. It isn't going to be easy!
 
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