what a goal from Essien!!

 

Chelski 1-0 Barca (7 mins)

Last-gasp Barcelona knock out Chelsea

 

Andres Iniesta scores in stoppage time to send Barcelona through to the Champions League final and break Chelsea's hearts.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/default.stm

Chelsea 1 Barcelona 1

 

Andres Iniesta's shot was Barcelona's first on target

 

ANDRES INIESTA broke Chelsea’s hearts with an injury time goal which shattered the Blues' Champions League dreams.

 

The Spanish international rifled home a 25-yeard blockbuster in the 93rd minute to book Barca’s place in Rome. Josep Guardiola’s side had been second best for much of the game, but Iniesta’s last-gasp effort means they will face Manchester United in the European showpiece on May 27.

 

Michael Essien had fired Chelsea into the Champions League final with a sensational 25-yard strike to kill Barcelona’s Euro dreams. The midfield powerhouse opened the scoring in the semi-final nine minutes into the second leg with a fearsome volley that went in off the crossbar.

 

Didier Drogba could have added a second with a free-kick, while goalkeeper Petr Cech did not have a save to make in the first 45 minutes. Blues boss Guus Hiddink’s instructions were seemingly to make attack the best form of defence, as Chelsea went in search of another goal.

 

Frank Lampard sent Drogba through but the Ivory Coast international could not clear Victor Valdes as the Barca goalkeeper rushed out midway through the opening half. Drogba also had a penalty shout turned down when a clumsy challenge from Eric Abidal felled him in the area. And the striker then saw a free-kick saved from an improbable angle after Dani Alves brought down Florent Malouda on the edge of the area.

 

Chelsea’s striker was worrying the visitors’ makeshift defence and enraging their bench with a gesture towards them, with one of their staff complaining to the fourth official. The Barca bench were not happy either when Alves was booked for crashing into the back of Ashley Cole. Drogba almost got the goal his first-half performance deserved eight minutes after the restart.

 

Nicolas Anelka raced towards the edge of the area and slipped the ball to his team-mate, who checked inside Gerard Pique before seeing his finish saved by Valdes with his legs. Malouda smashed the rebound into the side-netting as Barca’s noisy travelling support breathed a sigh of relief. Toure was fortunate not to receive a red card for tugging at Drogba.

 

But there was no reprieve for Abidal when he was judged to have clipped his France teammate Anelka when through on goal. The defender protested his innocence, with replays supporting his claims.

 

But Chelsea were forced into changing their own tactics after 72 minutes, with Drogba hobbling off with an ankle injury. Brazilian centreback Alex was booked shortly afterwards after pulling Messi to the ground.

 

The hosts then had another penalty claim waved away after Anelka was brought down by a clumsy challenge from Toure. And a third spot kick appeal was turned down when Gerard Pique handled Anelka’s deflected shot.

 

But with just seconds remaining, midfield ace Iniesta smashed the ball home after a great pull back from Argentine wizard Messi to break Chelsea's hearts.

 

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/article2415560.ece

 

I'm a fan of Barca, but the referee was crappy ...

Barca should have lost, but that's soccer. :D

i haven't watched the match :uhoh:

but people is partying outside :o

*gets in magician mood*

tomorrow there will be a lot of adverts of Viva La Vida on tv. :wacky:

... and the record sales will get up again ...

... and then somebody will sue them, again ... :D

BARCELOOOOOOOOOOOONAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!

 

 

 

 

what a fucking shitty match!!!! oooh how nervous!!!!

 

 

 

INIESTA FOREVER LOVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

:D:D

ahhhh chelsea's pain is soooo sweet!!

 

and players like Anelka should be wiped out of the game. dives like the one he pulled today give football a bad name.

 

bring on barca v man utd final!!!

I'm so glad Barca won. :D Shitty ass ref, but Barca deserves to go to the final, definitely.

 

I hope Messi, Eto'o, and Henry make Ronaldo cry. :P

where was Messi this morning (aus time sorry)? he had like 3 touches in the entire game. if chelsea are able to keep him quiet over 2 games i dont think man united will have any trouble in the final.

where was Messi this morning (aus time sorry)? he had like 3 touches in the entire game. if chelsea are able to keep him quiet over 2 games i dont think man united will have any trouble in the final.

 

Yeah, he was pretty invisible the whole match. Hopefully he'll step it up against Man Utd.

 

Dani Alves was HORRIBLE, worst Barca player on the pitch tonight. Bummed he's missing the final though. Though Puyol will be back.

 

What's the news on Titi?

i haven't watched the match :uhoh:

but people is partying outside :o

*gets in magician mood*

tomorrow there will be a lot of adverts of Viva La Vida on tv. :wacky:

 

Wouldn't be surprised, we know how much Pep likes Coldplay. :happy:

SHOCKING game! Good drama. And what was the referee on? I swear, these days those guys think they're bigger than the game.

 

Great vision of Drogba swearing into the camera and getting dragged into the tunnel. He's just feral.

 

Can't wait for a superb final, could go any way - but if Barcelona play like they did today they'll get smashed.

@ deaths_friend: Anelka plays in Chelsea now? :uhoh: no surprise they've lost the match then, when he played in Madrid he was so bad player, (just got two goals in the whole season here :sick: )

 

@ Starlight: yes we know Pep loves it, but really yesterday watching tv (before the match), there was an advert for VLV, saying "if you are a Barça supporter get their new anthem" (something like that).

 

Btw is just me who thinks there could be a Coldplay surprise in the final in Rome, i mean if Barça wins that, don't you think Coldplay might be there and sing the song at the end? :uhoh: (or is just me who is thinking that could happen? )

Btw is just me who thinks there could be a Coldplay surprise in the final in Rome, i mean if Barça wins that, don't you think Coldplay might be there and sing the song at the end? :uhoh: (or is just me who is thinking that could happen? )

 

NO Chance. But I admit, that would be awesome!

Good final to look forward to.

 

Abidal was terribly unlucky to get sent off for nothing, Ballack looked as if he was gonna pull a WWE move on the ref after he turned down their claims of a penalty after Eto'o handled the ball.

 

 

Seriously though, worst refereeing performance I've seen

Seriously though, worst refereeing performance I've seen

 

Agreed, for both teams. Ridiculous. I hear that the ref is getting death threats.

Haha yesterday, my lovely Werder Bremen reached the UEFA-Cup final by winning 3:2 in Hamburg!!! :dance: :D

 

What a brilliant game it was. For a long time I thought we would lose, but then we won... thanks to a paper ball on the pitch!!! :D It caused a corner for Werder and a few seconds later we led 3:1.

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7jdLzDrddU]YouTube - Die Papierkugel![/ame]

 

So we not only beat Hamburg in the German Cup semi-final (3:1 after penalty shootout), but also entered the UEFA-Cup final. Brilliant! Hope the day after tomorrow we'll win the last of in total 4 matches within 19 games between Hamburg and Bremen and make sure Hamburg won't win the Bundesliga title. :lol:

 

-------

 

Chelsea-Barcelona was indeed a massive match! Although I don't really like Chelsea I felt sorry for them, because the referee was the biggest joke I've ever seen. It's sad that one man can decide whether to win or lose.

poor hamburg :bigcry:

 

that wasn´t fair!

 

and normally they should get a penalty for that fouls in the last seconds.

rost, the goalie fell down really hard as he tried to make the 3-3 and jarolim as well!

 

and further.. what about the goal that didnt count when olic fell down in cause of a werder player?

 

:bigcry:

 

but congrats werder.

 

 

 

 

 

:lol::laugh3::D

 

nice !

I hope Werder wins the UEFACup, so Bayer could win the DFBPokal. :nice:

 

But it was a week with shitty ass referees ... :bomb:

That ref would suit Man Utd right at home, if they were playing at home against another team who had at least 2 blatant penalties declined, cos there is an unwritten rule that a ref must never give a penalty aginst Man utd at old trafford.

Chelsea lost :angry: but against Barcelona :angry::angry:ughMan Utd.better win!!