Barcelona supporters are busy giving thanks after what one Spanish match report headlined: ‘Miracle in London’.
They are thanking the football gods that:
- Lionel Messi only needs one chance to score a goal (because one chance is all they managed to create).
- Referee Cuneyt Cakir didn’t stop the game to book Luis Suarez for protesting – because that was the moment Barcelona finally broke down Chelsea’s defence.
- That the second leg is not for another three weeks because were it in three days Barca’s exhausted players might not have the legs to finish the job at the Nou Camp.
Spanish media have hailed Lionel Messi for his ability to finish his ‘one chance’ against Chelsea
Mundo Deportivo called Messi and Andres Iniesta ‘messiahs’ on their cover
Gratitude, respect and some concern are the overriding emotions as they look back at a night when it was so nearly a Stamford Bridge too far.
There is a recognition that Antonio Conte’s team selection and tactics were spot on and exposed some of Barcelona’s shortcomings that might not be fixable in the short term.
When the Barca full backs are stopped from getting forward the team has no width.
Sergi Roberto was so busy dealing with Eden Hazard and Pedro, and Jordi Alba so occupied with Willian and the forward bursts of Victor Moses, that they could not get out.
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte was praised for getting his tactics spot on against Barcelona
Sport’s cover said: ‘The story is repeated’
El Mundo Deportivo described Moses as a ‘force of nature’ for the way he covered the entire right flank. N’Golo Kante was another who left jaws gaping with a ‘brutal’ display.
Barcelona knew they were in for a physical test but players walking off the pitch at half-time trying to catch their breath is not something Barcelona supporters see in La Liga. As Porto, Juventus and Basle have also experienced in the last fortnight the switch is flicked to turbo whenever a Premier League team is involved in the Champions League at the moment.
Barcelona dominated possession but it was ‘a lot of touches but no danger,’ according to Marca’s analysis.
The threat was very much coming from Chelsea.
AS’s resident referee, Eduardo Iturralde, also said Barcelona had been fortunate with certain decisions. The former match official wrote: ‘We should thank the referee for not applying the law to the letter because Suarez was still protesting to the fifth official and Cakir let the play continue before he showed him the card.’
El Mundo Deportivo described Chelsea’s Victor Moses as a ‘force of nature’ for his display
N’Golo Kante was also heavily praised in the press for his ‘brutal’ display on Tuesday night
It was the moment Barcelona scored and Suarez was cautioned straight after. ‘He could have stopped the play and booked him for protesting,’ Iturralde added. He also called Sergio Busquets’ late kick on Hazard an ‘orange’ card.
Looking on the bright side for Barcelona, this was the first time one of their players has scored a Champions League goal away from home since November 2016. Incredibly, last year the only European goal they scored on their travels was an own goal from Sebastian Coates.
And in 11 out of 13 previous cases Barca do go through if they get a 1-1 first leg away result. But there is still concern over the second leg.
This feels like a 10-man team, one radio journalist bemoaned after the match. Barcelona replaced Neymar with Ousmane Dembele and Philippe Coutinho but the latter was back in Barcelona cup-tied and the former is so low on confidence that he never appeared close to being brought on.
There was a suggestion that Barcelona were lucky Luis Suarez was booked after the goal
Paulinho was the ’11th man’ – the player picked to complete the gala line-up but it was hardly a happy return to London for him. He gave the ball away nine times and made just 36 passes.
Barcelona have three weeks to find a solution. Dembele needs to find some confidence from somewhere so that he can play his part in the second leg. Before then Barcelona have four games – including a potential title clincher at home to their only genuine rivals Atletico Madrid.
The mystery of Dembele’s failure to take off needs to be solved and the likes of Messi, Suarez and Iniesta will need to be rested in at least one of those four fixtures.
Sergio Busquets’ late tackle was considered an ‘orange’ card by a Spanish refereeing expert
The narrative of Iniesta once again being decisive at Stamford Bridge (albeit as an assist provider) was a nice one. As was Messi scoring at the ninth attempt in west London.
But the story behind the story is that Barcelona were asked some serious questions by Chelsea and they need to find the answers before March 14. Iniesta said after the game: ‘I think it will be a different game at home’. And Suarez said: ‘They will have to score so that could benefit us.’
But with Willian in this form, Fabregas and Pedro back on familiar ground, and Hazard having shown that – according to Barca director Guillermo Amor – he’s among the ‘top five players in the world’, it’s a serious test.
Chelsea forward Eden Hazard was described as one of the ‘top five players in the world’