Match Report: Tuesday 7/02/2006 20:45 (GMT+1): Champions League 2nd Leg
FC Barcelona – Chelsea FC

Camp Nou, Barcelona – attendance: 98.500

1 - 0 Ronaldinho '33

1 - 1 Lampard '92 (penalty)


Referee:Markus Merk (Germany)


FC Barcelona (4-3-3): Váldes – Oleguer, Marquez, Puyol, Gio – Motta, Edmilson, Deco, - Messi (Larsson '24), Eto'o, Ronaldinho – Manager: Frank Rijkaard


FC Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech - Ferreira, Terry, Carvalho, Gallas - Duff (Gudjohnsen '57), Makelele, Lampard - Cole (Huth '83), Drogba (Crespo '57), Robben - Manager: Jose Mourinho


A magical goal from Ronaldinho helped Barcelona draw 1-1 with Chelsea tonight to reach the Champions League quarter-finals and avenge their elimination by the same side a year ago.


The World Player of the Year lived up to his billing when he bamboozled three Chelsea defenders on the edge of the area and fired a low shot past keeper Petr Cech.


Chelsea were given brief hope of a dramatic comeback when Frank Lampard converted an injury-time penalty after John Terry went down but the game ended immediately after to give Barca a deserved 3-2 victory on aggregate.


Barca, who were knocked out by Chelsea over two acrimonious legs at the same stage last season, were in charge throughout, depriving their opponents of the ball and gaving Jose Mourinho's side a masterclass in possession football.


There were few of the fireworks, however, which might have been expected given the controversies that had characterised the previous three meetings between the two sides over the past year.


Instead, this was a slow-burning tactical game and although the tension was still high, Chelsea went out with a whimper rather than a bang in a disappointing performance for a side that has yet to live up to expectations in Europe.


The only stain on Barca's victory was when skipper Carles Puyol picked up a booking that will see him miss the first leg of the quarter-final for an unnecessary foul on Gudjohnsen.


For Barça the win put them into the last eight for the first time since 2003 and their performance will give them real hope that FC.Barcelona can finally win a second European Cup.

Beating a team with a great coach always makes you really happy,
Ronaldinho told Spanish television station Canal Plus.

...There's nothing better than winning a game like this one. Revenge wasn't on our minds.

Ronaldinho you are simply the best!!


Ronaldinho undoubtedly deserves all the accolades he will get from the world press. But in reality, the entire Barça team deserves the men-of-the-match award for the way they played over 180 minutes against a Chelsea side that has cost more than 300 million euros to assemble.


On Friday, Barça will find out their quarterfinal and eventual semifinal opponents in a draw at UEFA headquarters in Switzerland. Juventus and Villareal have already qualified for the quarterfinals, and the rest of the teams who will accompany them will be determined after the remaining second leg matches are played on Wednesday. But culés tonight go with the feeling that when playing with such determination as they did against Chelsea, Barça are more than capable of outperforming any opponent that stands in their quest to lift the Champions League trophy at the Stade Denis in Paris on May 17, 2006.




VISCA EL BARÇA!! OLÉ, OLÉ BARÇA, OLÉÉÉ!