DOES THE JOB
Barcelona back where it all began
FOR Chelsea it hurt like a dagger to the heart yet for Barcelona it was the flashing blade which unleashed a rush of silver. Clinically despatched from the right foot of Andres Iniesta, the ball sped past Petr Cech at the Shed End and into the net with seconds remaining in the Champions League semifinal. The game paused, turned upside down and crashed back to earth with the delirious Catalans bound for the final in Rome at the expense of their hosts. The goal’s beauty was lost in the clamour; cries of injustice and recriminations aimed at Tom Henning Ovrebo, the Norwegian referee who had resisted a chain of strong penalty appeals from Chelsea. But its value has never been doubted in Barcelona where they still talk about the belief it instilled in a team who have conquered all before them ever since. ‘That memory will never be erased,’ said Dani Alves after Barca beat Milan on Tuesday and threw up the prespect of a return to Stamford Bridge. ‘It’s the goal that led us to the final and thanks to that goal we went all the way and won this title. ‘The goal gave us confidence and faith in what we were doing and it formed the basis of our success in our quest to win trophies. ‘I remember at that moment we were ecstatic. It was enormous joy because it took us through, but really if you don’t win that trophy that goal means nothing. ‘The greatest euphoria only comes when you lift cups.’ Pep Guardiola was in his first season at the helm. His team were ticking along nicely in La Liga and the Copa del Rey but when they came to London, the Catalan had won nothing as a coach. In three years since, his team have won the Champions League twice, La Liga three times and Spain’s Copa del Rey in 2009. Twice they have won the Club World Cup and twice the UEFA Super Cup. Throw in three Spanish Super Cups, the equivalent of the FA Community Shield, and Guardiola has won 13 competitions out of 16 entered. Along the way, Barcelona have enchanted the world with their progressive football, fluent style and Lionel Messi, the world’s best footballer. This week they became the first team for more than half a century to reach the last four of the European Cup in five successive seasons as they try to become the first to successfully defend the title in its modern format. ‘We want to win this again but we know it’s difficult to achieve,’ said Alves. ‘Every year it’s more difficult and more complicated but faced with difficulties Barcelona always respond like the great team we are. ‘Barcelona are not invincible. It is extremely difficult to beat us but it’s not impossible.’ Between the two legs of the Champions League semifinal, Barcelona have an
El Clasico encounter with Real Madrid which could decide the destiny of this year’s La Liga title.