Chelsea ends Barcelona’s Champions League reign

BARCELONA, Spain — Lionel Messi walked off the Camp Nou pitch in tears, as one of the most dominant eras in European club soccer came to a crashing halt.

He wasn’t the only one shaking his head in disbelief.

Despite going a man and two goals down in the first half, Chelsea pulled off one of the unlikeliest comebacks in Champions League history Tuesday, earning a 2-2 draw against Barcelona. That sent the London club into the final.

For the second time in a week, Chelsea withstood a never-ending onslaught from the Spanish powerhouse and displayed ruthless efficiency on rare opportunities.

For Barcelona, the result could mark the end of one of the most successful spells in club soccer. The team was looking for a third Champions League title in four seasons, and this loss came on the heels of a 2-1 loss to Real Madrid that all but ended hopes of a fourth straight Spanish league crown.

“It hurts to lose this way because we were better and we gave it our all,” Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas said. “We needed the perfect game, but we weren’t perfect because we lacked goals.”

Despite coming into the second leg with a 1-0 lead, Chelsea’s hopes looked all but over after going down 2-0 and having John Terry sent off for a needless foul in the first half.

Ramires’ lob right before halftime gave the advantage back to the Blues on away goals, and Barca didn’t recover. After Messi blasted a penalty kick against the crossbar and hit the post with another shot, substitute Fernando Torres scored in injury time to make it 3-2 on aggregate and ensure that Chelsea advanced.

Messi left the pitch with his head buried in his shirt.

“We’re here because of this kid,” coach Pep Guardiola said. “I have no doubt he’s going through a bad moment.”