Barcelona is at a crossroads
Widely acknowledged as the finest soccer club in the world at the moment, FC Barcelona could see its season come completely unraveled in the next eight days.
All the signs were there Tuesday, when the Catalan club was held to a 0-0 tie by Chelsea in the first leg of its two-game European Champions League semifinal series in front of an ultimately subdued crowd of 95,000 in Barcelona.
Free-flowing Barcelona went into the game with 136 goals in 51 games, including 94 in 33 Spanish league games. Barcelona, powered by a front line of Lionel Messi, Thierry Henry and Samuel Eto’o and supported by attacking midfielders Andres Iniesta and Xavi, was supposed to be unstoppable.
The team had not been shut out in 50 consecutive games in all competitions, dating to its season-opening 1-0 loss at Numancia on Aug. 31.
“The best team in Europe, or the world,” was the pre-game opinion of Chelsea Coach Guus Hiddink.
Barcelona carried the game to the English team throughout. It finished with 71% of the possession time and outshot Chelsea, 19-3, including 12-1 in shots on target.
But Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech was in top form and made excellent saves on goal-bound shots by Henry, Dani Alves, Eto’o and Alexander Hleb. The rest of the team defended resolutely and in numbers, so Chelsea headed home to London and next week’s decisive second game knowing that it has a slight upper hand.
A win at Stamford Bridge on May 6 would put the Blues into the Champions League final for the second year in a row, against the winner of the semifinal series between Manchester United and Arsenal that opens today in Manchester.
Chelsea defender and captain John Terry, whose missed penalty kick in Moscow last year cost the Blues the chance to defeat Manchester United in the final, said his team had done its homework.
“We watched videos before the game,” he told Britain’s ITV. “They like to play little balls through, and we knew that and stopped them doing it. It’s a fantastic result.”
Between now and the second leg, Barcelona has another massive challenge. Its lead in the Spanish league has been cut to four points over second-place and defending champion Real Madrid, which it plays Saturday in Madrid.
A loss there and in London next week could undo everything Barcelona has worked to achieve this season.
Barcelona Coach Josep “Pep” Guardiola was more concerned by the loss of Mexico international defender Rafael Marquez, who injured his left knee and is out for the season.
“Rafa’s loss was the worst news today,” Guardiola said.
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