ANOTHER FINE MESSI
Christensen blunder gifts leveller to Messi and blows hopes of famous first-leg victory
He wasn’t the man of the match. That was Willian. His side didn’t have the best chances. Those fell to Chelsea. Yet if Barcelona approach the second leg as favourites, and they do, Lionel Messi is responsible. Again.
One chance, one goal. That is all he needs. And Messi got it because he, along with Barcelona’s immense forward drive, terrifies the opposition, defenders in possession in particular.
Andreas Christensen had not looked happy with the ball at his feet all night. He had sliced one attempted pass behind him for a corner. Yet Chelsea kept trying to play their way out of trouble as Barcelona harried and chased. eventually, something gave.
Christensen received the ball deep on the left and played a suicidal pass across his own defensive ranks. Miscued, misplaced, it turned into a 50-50 for Cesar Azpilicueta.
He dived in, going to ground in desperation, and Andres Iniesta slipped the ball inside. When it became apparent who was on the end of it, there was no doubting the outcome. No side have held out longer against Messi than Chelsea, 730 minutes until this point. His first game against them was the last Barcelona victory, almost 12 years to the day, but he has never scored.
That is another record broken. The finish was perfect, assured, near post. Never in doubt. Yet for a time, Barca’s advantage was.
It was fitting, perhaps, that Willian was temporarily off the pitch when this happened, getting treatment on a bloodied lip. He did not deserve to be on the losing side, or to be present when Chelsea conceded.
For if this was an excellent performance, given expectations from Chelsea, it was arguably Willian’s finest 90 minutes in a blue shirt. He hit the right post, the left post, before finally getting his reward with a goal on 62 minutes. And what a beauty it was.
eden Hazard played a curling pass across the edge of the area and Willian did what he does best, sizing it up before as good as passing it into the net.
In these moments, he reminds us of no one more than Thierry Henry, his beautiful precision in front of goal, shot stroked superbly. Frank Lampard is another antecedent, the way he would maraud upfield, always with an eye for the goal as much as the pass.
And while Barcelona may have had the superior passing statistics, Chelsea were more than worth their draw.
The team who looked to have pulled the shortest Champions League straw travel to the Nou Camp next month with a small reserve of optimism few thought possible. They have shocked this team before, and continue to do so, even if Messi is on the board against them at last.
If there has been a theme this week it is that possession, in itself, can be a false indicator and Chelsea duly played Wigan to Barcelona’s Manchester City for much of the first half. With one difference. Chelsea had the most shots and the best two chances, Willian hitting both posts.
Yes, for long periods they may have been observers as Barcelona hogged the ball — reaching 81 per cent possession at one stage. Yes, they may have misplaced passes and then been forced to watch Barcelona control the play for minutes on end. And yes, N’Golo Kante may have mustered two touches and one tackle in the opening 29 minutes.
But Chelsea could have led at the midway point and by more than one.
It is immensely energy-sapping trying to contain Barcelona’s brilliance, but Chelsea did so for the first period of the game.
Luis Suarez wasn’t in it, Messi was as mesmerising as ever yet his influence was limited. Of course, his intelligence is always apparent, his wit, his will, his genius ability to conjure a chance.
Sadly for Barcelona, his best moment, a chip targeted as perfectly as a Jordan Spieth short wedge, fell to Paulinho who appeared to have his Tottenham head on. Using it, he steered the ball wide of the target.
Chelsea then had the best of it early on, the lengthy exercises of keep ball aside.
Ably supported by the outstanding Willian, Hazard matched Messi in the battle of the No 10s many had predicted would decide this game.
Willian, meanwhile, tested Marc-Andre ter Stegen with shots from range that twice hit posts.
Chelsea put their mark on the game early. Just five minutes had gone when Hazard cut inside and tried his luck with a shot that travelled over the bar.
For all the talk of Barcelona’s beautiful game, like Brazil, they know how to assassinate, too, and Jordi Alba was lucky to avoid a yellow card for a body check on Willian that thwarted a fine run with cold intent.
In the 33rd minute, Hazard fed Willian who cut inside, drifting past Sergio Busquets before unleashing a shot of such venom that Ter Stegen could only look on helplessly. It hit his left post and rebounded out.
Seven minutes later, Willian once more, on the opposite side, struck Ter Stegen’s right post with a shot from outside the area.
Willian eventually claimed the goal his display deserved, but Messi’s reply ensures Chelsea remain second favourites to go through.