Chelsea gets crucial 1-0 win over Barcelona in UEFA Champions League
English side Chelsea have taken a 1-0 advantage over Spanish side FC Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League semifinals. It was a very important win for Chelsea who were organized defensively and took advantage of a counterattack.
The match started out with Barcelona dominating possession and nearly taking the lead. Luckily for the home side, a Alexis Sanchez chip shot (over Petr Cech who came off his line) was denied by the crossbar. The momentum remained with Barcelona for most of the first half but they were unable to find the breakthrough.
The only goal of the match would be scored just before halftime. Frank Lampard stole the bar from Messi and sent a pass to Ramires. The Brazilian dribbled into the box and then sent a boss to striker Didier Drogba who slotted it into the back of the net. It was scored in the 45th minute and a huge boost to the crowd at Stamford Bridge.
In the second half, Barcelona would continue to have most of the ball but unable to turn that into goals. Chelsea did have several breaks as Barca were denied by the post on multiple occasions and missed some great chances. Perhaps the best chance for Barcelona was just before the final whistle as a Pedro shot hit the post and Busquets sent the rebound way over the crossbar.
The two teams will meet in a few weeks at the Nou Camp where Chelsea can advance with a draw or a one goal loss (where they score at least one goal).
Goals
| Chelsea | Barcelona |
|---|---|
| Didier Drogba (45′) |
Match Stats
Chelsea Barcelona
| 4(1) | Shots (on Goal) | 24(6) |
| 12 | Fouls | 9 |
| 1 | Corner Kicks | 8 |
| 5 | Offsides | 2 |
| 21% | Time of Possession | 79% |
| 2 | Yellow Cards | 2 |
| 0 | Red Cards | 0 |
| 6 | Saves | 0 |
Teams
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Cech; Ivanovic, Cahill,Terry (c), Cole; Meireles, Mikel Obi, Lampard; Mata (Kalou 73), Drogba, Ramires (Bosingwa 86).
Unused substitutes: Turnbull, Essien, Malouda, Torres, Sturridge.
Scorer: Drogba 45
Booked: Ramires 67, Drogba 85
Barcelona (4-3-3): Valdes; Alves, Puyol (c), Mascherano, Adriano; Xavi (Cuenca 85), Busquets, Iniesta; Messi, Sanchez (Pedro 65), Fabregas (Thiago 78).
Unused sustitutes: Pinto, Pique, Batra, Keita
Scorer:
Booked: Pedro 69, Busquets 75
Referee: Felix Brych
Crowd: 38,039
