Chelsea v Barcelona live!

06 May 2009 19:07
FT The referee blows his whistle for full time. Barcelona will face Manchester United in the Champions League final after drawing 1-1 with Chelsea tonight and progressing on the away goals rule.[LNB]90 Barcelona have made two changes with Hleb and Iniesta taking the place of Eto'o and Iniesta.[LNB]90 Lampard's corner from the right falls to Ballack and the Chelsea midfielder's effort strikes the arm of Toure. The referee waves play-on and the Germany international is booked for showing his anger to his official.[LNB]90 Essien wasted a great chance to clear the danger before Iniesta's striker. Barcelona are celebrating and it looks like they will face Manchester United in the Champions League final.[LNB]90 GOAL INIESTA! Messi works the ball to Iniesta on the edge of the Chelsea box and the Barcelona midfielder sends his effort into the top left hand corner of Cech's goal. Barcelona have equalised and it looks like they will go through on the away goals rule.[LNB]90 Belletti storms forward and sends a low effort narrowly wide of Valdes' right hand post. Chelsea are looking to keep the ball in the Barcelona half.[LNB]90 Eto'o becomes the latest player to be booked but he won't worry about that as his side search for a goal.[LNB]90 There will be four minutes of additional time.[LNB]89 Dani Alves sends a lofted cross from the right out of play for a goal-kick. Barcelona have wasted plenty of chances to test Cech tonight.[LNB]88 Messi tumbles to the ground under Bosingwa's challenge on the edge of the Chelsea box. The referee, however, decides to wave play on as he continues his night of strange decisions.[LNB]87 Essien sees his effort from just inside the Barcelona half scrambled clear of danger by the away side's defence.[LNB]86 Chelsea are keeping the ball in the Barcelona half. The home side look dangerous when they push forward but they have failed to capitalise on plenty of attacking opportunities.[LNB]85 Barcelona make their expected change with Bojan taking the place of Busquets.[LNB]84 It looks like Barcelona are preparing to bring on Bojan. Chelsea continue to lead but a equaliser for the away side would see them progress to the Champions League final.[LNB]83 Lampard's corner from the left is headed clear by Toure as we near the final stages of this match.[LNB]82 Lampard wins a corner off the legs of Pique as he looks to keep the ball in the Barcelona half.[LNB]81 Anelka flicks the ball onto the arm of Pique but the referee surprisingly decides to wave play-on. The official has made plenty of controversial decision tonight.[LNB]80 Pique makes space on the edge of the Chelsea box and sends a weak half-volley narrowly wide of Cech's right hand post. Barcelona have yet to produce a shot on target tonight.[LNB]79 Anelka takes the ball away from Toure but the Barcelona defender catches up with the Chelsea striker and eases him away from danger. Goal-kick to the away side.[LNB]78 Dani Alves takes the free-kick from 20 yards and sends his effort high over the top of the bar.[LNB]77 Messi tumbles under Alex's challenge to give Barcelona a free-kick in a shooting position. The Chelsea defender is booked and will miss the Champions League final if the Blues win this match.[LNB]76 Anelka is caught offside as he looks to reach Essien's through ball behind the Barcelona defence.[LNB]75 Dani Alves' low cross from the right is cleared by Ballack. Barcelona are still keeping possession as they search for the goal that would put them through on the away goals rule.[LNB]74 Essien becomes the first Chelsea player to be booked tonight after he catches Iniesta on the left calf with a poor challenge.[LNB]73 It will be interesting to see if Barcelona make any changes as they search for an equaliser. They have Bojan, Hleb and former Chelsea striker Gudjohnsen on the bench.[LNB]72 Chelsea make their expected change with Belletti taking the place of Drogba.[LNB]71 Lampard's deflected effort from the edge of the Barcelona box is gathered by Valdes in the centre of his goal.[LNB]70 Drogba appears to be struggling with an injury and it looks like his match may be over soon.[LNB]69 Xavi's powerful effort from 30 yards is headed clear by Alex on the edge of the Chelsea box as Barcelona push forward after Abidal's dismissal.[LNB]68 Lampard takes the resulting free-kick from 20 yards and sends his low effort wide of Valdes' right hand post.[LNB]67 We have a break in play as Barcelona show their anger to the referee. Abidal is taking his time to leave the field but eventually he departs as we near Chelsea's free-kick.[LNB]66 Anelka falls to the ground after trying to race away from Abidal in order to reach Drogba's flick-on. The referee awards a free-kick to Chelsea and decides to send-off the Barcelona defender. It looks like a slightly harsh decision from the official.[LNB]65 Messi cuts in from the right flank and sends a poor effort well wide of Cech's far post. Barcelona continue to be the better side in this half.[LNB]64 Iniesta fails to find Eto'o with a through ball and Cech is able to gather possession. Barcelona are starting to find space near the Chelsea box.[LNB]63 Malouda concedes a free-kick as he bundles Busquets to the ground on the left flank. Drogba is back on the field.[LNB]62 We have a break in play as Drogba receives treatment after a challenge from Abidal. The Chelsea striker should be fine to continue in this match.[LNB]61 Keita turns in the Chelsea box and sends a half-volley high over the top of the bar. Barcelona are starting to create more chances.[LNB]60 Dani Alves' cross from the right evades everyone in the Chelsea box and the home side are able to clear the danger from the opposite flank.[LNB]59 Barcelona look to work a short corner from the left but they waste possession and allow Chelsea to clear the danger. The away side have produced some awful set-pieces tonight.[LNB]58 Terry does well to scramble the ball clear of danger as Eto'o tries to run through one-on-one with Cech. Great work from the Chelsea defender.[LNB]57 Iniesta looks to make space in the Chelsea box until his jinking run is ended by a strong challenge from Alex. Both sides are looking dangerous when they move forward.[LNB]56 Drogba tumbles to the floor under Toure's challenge but the referee waves play-on. The Chelsea striker throws himself back to the ground in despair but it looks like the official made the right decision[LNB]55 Dani Alves cuts in from the right flank and sends his resulting effort from 20 yards high over the top of the bar.[LNB]54 Dani Alves' cross from the right is headed clear by Terry as both sides continue to look dangerous from wide positions.[LNB]53 Lampard is caught offside as he looks to reach Essien's ball down the left flank.[LNB]52 Anelka works the ball to Droga in space in the Barcelona box. The Chelsea striker outskills Pique but he sends his resulting effort from eight yards straight at Valdes. Wasted chance for the Blues.[LNB]51 Iniesta's low pass into the Chelsea box narrowly evades Keita and Alex is able to clear the danger. Barcelona are the better side at the start of this half.[LNB]50 Barcelona have made a bright start to this half. Iniesta and Xavi are looking to push forward and help create chances for Messi and Eto'o.[LNB]49 Xavi's corner from the left is headed clear by Essien at the near post. Poor cross from the Barcelona midfielder.[LNB]48 Barcelona are keeping the ball with ease at the start of this half but Chelsea look happy in defence at the moment.[LNB]47 Barcelona work a short free-kick on the edge of the Chelsea box and Dani Alves sends the resulting effort way over the top of the bar. That was an awful set-piece from the away side.[LNB]46 The second half is under way and neither side have made a change at the break.[LNB] Jamie Baker in Newtown would like to see Bojan come on for the second half. Let me know your thoughts by sending an e-mail to nick.hext@bskyb.com.[LNB] Should Barcelona bring on Hleb or Bojan at the break? Do Chelsea need to make any changes? Let me know by sending an e-mail to nick.hext@bskyb.com.[LNB] Chelsea are now 4/7 to win this match with Sky Bet, Barcelona are 5/1 and you back the draw at 23/10. You can back the Blues at 4/7 to reach the final and the La Liga leaders at 13/10.[LNB]HT Xavi's deflected effort goes behind for a corner but the referee blows his whistle for half time. Chelsea lead 1-0 and are 45 minutes away from setting up a Champions League final clash against Manchester United. Let me know your thoughts on the match so far by sending an e-mail to nick.hext@bskyb.com.[LNB]45 Lampard outmuscles Iniesta to win the ball on the halfway line as Chelsea hope for the half time whistle.[LNB]45 Chelsea are looking strong at the end of this half. Barcelona have the ball but the Blues look comfortable.[LNB]45 We will have three minutes of additional time.[LNB]44 Chelsea keep plenty of men behind the ball and force Barcelona to make a mistake that allows Essien to clear the ball. Good work from the Blues.[LNB]43 Lampard's corner from the left is scrambled away from danger by Barcelona.[LNB]42 Lampard's free-kick from the left is headed behind for a corner by Toure.[LNB]41 Messi's cross from the right drifts over the head of Eto'o and out of play for a goal-kick as Barcelona waste a promising attacking position.[LNB]40 Dani Alves tumbles to the ground on the halfway line as he looks to break forward. The referee awards a free-kick to Barcelona.[LNB]39 Xavi fails to work a one-two with Messi as he sends his return pass straight out of play for a Chelsea goal-kick.[LNB]38 Barcelona are enjoying a decent spell of pressure at the moment. Chelsea need to stay strong at the back as we near half time.[LNB]37 Messi takes the ball away from Ashley Cole on the right flank but his resulting cross is disappointing and Cech is able to gather possession at his near post.[LNB]36 Messi's deflected cross from the right is gathered by Cech just inside his six-yard box as Barcelona prove they have plenty to offer in attacking positions.[LNB]35 Pique's long ball forward is headed out of play for a Barcelona throw-in by Malouda as Dani Alves look to make progress on the right flank.[LNB]34 Valdes races out of his goal to prevent Drogba's flicked header reaching Essien. Barcelona are having a tough night at the back.[LNB]33 Lampard is now able to continue in this match as he looks to help Chelsea continue their great start to the night.[LNB]32 Lampard continues to receive treatment and it looks like his mouth is bleeding.[LNB]31 We currently have a break in play as Lampard receives treatment after an aerial collision.[LNB]30 Dani Alves is booked by the referee after he bundles Ashley Cole to the ground on the halfway line. The Barcelona defender would miss the Champions League final if his side get through this tie.[LNB]29 Iniesta cuts in from the left flank and sends a poor effort well wide of Cech's far post. Barcelona need to improve if they are to reach the final.[LNB]28 Chelsea keep looking like scoring when they near the Barcelona goal. The away side, however, have not troubled the Stamford Bridge outfit's defence.[LNB]27 Drogba is bundled to the ground by Abidal as he looks to make space in the Barcelona box. The Chelsea striker appeals for a penalty but the referee surprisingly waves play on. The Blues are not happy with that decision.[LNB]26 Lampard's corner from the right is headed narrowly wide of Valdes' far post by Terry from 12 yards. Chelsea are on the front foot at the moment.[LNB]25 Drogba's free-kick from an improbable angle just outside the left hand side of the Barcelona box is turned behind for a corner by the knees of Valdes. Great effort from the Chelsea striker.[LNB]24 Malouda is bundled to the ground by Dani Alves just outside the left hand side of the Barcelona box. Dangerous free-kick for Chelsea.[LNB]23 Valdes races out of his goal to clear the ball away from Drogba as the Chelsea striker looks to reach Lampard's pass over the top of the Barcelona defence.[LNB]22 Chelsea have produced a solid performance so far. They are keeping plenty of men behind the ball when Barcelona are in possession to make life hard for the La Liga leaders.[LNB]21 Dani Alves' swerving free-kick from 35 yards drifts away from Cech's left hand post as the Chelsea goalkeeper continues to look comfortable.[LNB]20 Cech races out of his goal to gather the loose ball as Eto'o looks to work a one-two with Keita.[LNB]19 Drogba is currently on the sidelines as he changes his boots. Barcelona continue to keep the ball with ease in midfield without causing Chelsea's defence any problems.[LNB]18 Dani Alves bundles Malouda to the ground on the left flank to give Chelsea a free-kick. The Blues waste the resulting set-piece.[LNB]17 Malouda plays the ball to Lampard on the edge of the Barcelona box and the Chelsea midfielder sends a powerful effort high over the top of the bar. The Blues look dangerous on the break.[LNB]16 Eto'o falls to the ground on the edge of the Chelsea box but the referee rightly waves play on.[LNB]15 The majority of this match is being played in the midfield area as Barcelona look to pose Chelsea's defence some questions.[LNB]14 Barcelona continue to play at a slow tempo. Chelsea are keeping men behind the ball and look strong.[LNB]13 Anelka wins a free-kick on the edge of the Chelsea box as he is bundled to the ground by Keita.[LNB]12 Barcelona are keeping the ball with ease but Chelsea's defence continues to look strong. The home side will be very happy with their start to this match.[LNB]11 The Stamford Bridge crowd are now firmly behind Chelsea. Barcelona have looked happy in possession since falling behind.[LNB]9 GOAL ESSIEN! Essien strikes a superb volley from 25 yards after the ball deflected off Toure to the Chelsea midfielder. The ball bounces off the underside of the bar and into the back of the net to give the Blues a 1-0 lead. That was a fantastic goal![LNB]8 Xavi's attempted through ball narrowly evades Keita and Cech is able to gather possession. Both sides are taking their time in possession we await the first goal in this tie.[LNB]7 Dani Alves' cross from the right drifts out of play for a Chelsea throw-in on the opposite flank.[LNB]6 Barcelona are dominating possession at the start of this match. Chelsea have struggled to break out of their own half but don't look too worried at the back.[LNB]5 Xavi's effort from just inside the Chelsea box takes a deflection and Bosingwa has to clear the ball off the line. The defender had plenty of time to clear the danger but Barcelona are looking dangerous at the start of this match.[LNB]4 Terry produces a strong challenge to win the ball from Messi as the Barcelona forward looks to work a neat one-two with Eto'o in the Chelsea box.[LNB]3 Eto'o turns on the edge of the Chelsea box and sends a low effort wide of Cech's right hand post. Both sides have looked to create chances early on.[LNB]2 Drogba fails to take control of Terry's attempted through ball and Barcelona are able to scramble clear the danger. Wasted chance for Chelsea.[LNB]1 Barcelona, who are wearing yellow tonight, get the action under way and keep possession early on.[LNB] Scott in Texas is surprised that Branislav Ivanovic isn't playing for Chelsea and he thinks Barcelona will win 2-1. Let me know your thoughts by sending an e-mail to nick.hext@bskyb.com.[LNB] The players are walking on to the pitch as we near kick-off. The PA system is playing 'blue is the colour' as the atmosphere starts to rise. Chelsea have handed out free flags to their fans.[LNB] How do you think Barcelona will cope without Thierry Henry? Do you agree with the Chelsea team that Guus Hiddink has selected? Let me know by sending an e-mail to nick.hext@bskyb.com.[LNB] Alain in Boston, USA not Lincolnshire, thinks Chelsea will win 3-2. Ron in Sheffield, however, believes Barcelona can secure a 3-1 victory. Send know your predictions to nick.hext@bskyb.com.[LNB] Chelsea are 7/4 to win tonight's match with Sky Bet, Barcelona are 6/4 and you can back the draw at 9/4. The Blues are 11/10 to reach the final and you can back the Nou Camp outfit at 4/6.[LNB] Here is a detailed look at tonight's teams: Barcelona forward Thierry Henry is not in the squad to face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final. The former Arsenal skipper, who injured his knee at the weekend in the 6-2 thrashing of Real Madrid, travelled with the Spanish champions to London but is not fit to play. Barca coach Josep Guardiola also has problems at the back as Rafael Marquez is out injured and Carles Puyol suspended, with Seydou Keita and Sergio Busquets his changes from the first leg. The hosts have Ashley Cole back from suspension and there is also a place for Nicolas Anelka to support Didier Drogba in attack, with John Mikel Obi on the bench.[LNB] The referee for tonight's match is Tom Ovrebo from Norway. Alex, Nicolas Anelka and Michael Ballack are the three Chelsea players who will miss the final if they are booked tonight.[LNB] The teams in full are: Chelsea: Cech, Bosingwa, Cole, Alex, Terry, Essien, Ballack, Lampard, Malouda, Anelka, Drogba. Subs: Hilario, Ivanovic, Di Santo, Mikel, Kalou, Belletti, Mancienne[LNB] Barcelona: Valdes, Alves, Abidal, Pique, Toure, Busquets, Keita, Xavi, Iniesta, Eto'o, Messi. Subs: Pinto, Caceres, Gudjohnsen, Bojan, Sylvinho, Hleb, Pedro.[LNB] Welcome to our live coverage of Chelsea's second leg clash against Barcelona in the semi-finals of the Champions League. The first meeting between the two sides at the Nou Camp finished 0-0 so we should be set for an interesting night in London. Let me know your thoughts ahead of the game by sending an e-mail to nick.hext@bskyb.com.[LNB]

Source: SKY_Sports