Source: Daily_Mail
Chelsea 1 Barcelona 1: Blue murder at the Bridge as Iniesta strikes late
After this, Chelsea might just have to give the Champions League a miss next season. They might swerve it, and instead remain at home, because of the way it tramples the soul, crushes the spirit and tears the heart from the chest. The way it shatters their dreams in the cruellest way imaginable. A year after coming within a penalty kick of lifting the European Cup in Moscow, they found themselves 60 seconds away from a second successive final encounter with Manchester United when Andres Iniesta delivered a truly devastating blow. Thunderbolt: Essien opened the scoring in tremendous styleTheir bags to Rome were packed and their manager was planning a long and glorious goodbye. The Olympic Stadium on the Wednesday. Wembley on the Saturday. What a way for Guus Hiddink to go out. But then came the sliced clearance from Michael Essien, the first decent ball of an otherwise frustrating night for Lionel Messi and Barcelona's first - yes, first - shot on target. The effort was brilliant, and yet so brutal, in its execution from a midfielder who had struggled to perform the role usually occupied by the injured Thierry Henry. Controversy followed, with Didier Drogba first clashing with the Barcelona bench before turning his attention to referee Tom Henning Ovrebo when the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time finally passed. That the Norwegian booked him for his over-aggressive protest only added fuel to the flames, Chelsea's striker then spiralling out of control before delivering his four-letter verdict to a live television audience. Ref justice: Drogba can't believe he's been denied a penaltyHe will incur the wrath of UEFA for that, even if television evidence proves Drogba had a case. Four times Chelsea had a decent claim for a penalty and four times Ovrebo refused to point to the spot. It was extraordinary. From the decision to award a free-kick outside the Barcelona penalty area when Daniel Alves dragged Florent Malouda down two yards inside to his failure to see how blatantly Eric Abidal pulled on Drogba's shirt. From the sight of Gerard Pique blocking a shot from Nicolas Anelka with his hand to the moment when Samuel Eto'o raised his arms to deny Michael Ballack moments after Iniesta's decisive goal. And he's off: Abidal sees red for his foul on AnelkaIt meant another European encounter with Barcelona at Stamford Bridge descended into chaos and bitterness, with Chelsea again the losers of a tie they clearly thought they had sewn up. Even if Barcelona enjoyed much of the possession, Chelsea deserved to go through for the way they controlled the second leg of this tie. They were magnificent until Iniesta's goal. Drogba led the line until his legs could carry him no more; Frank Lampard and Essien, the scorer of Chelsea's ninth-minute goal, were joined by Ballack in dominating the midfield; John Terry and his colleagues in defence were outstanding, with Alex continuing to battle bravely even after a booking had ruled him out of the final. Late show: Iniesta celebrates his injury-time effortDriven by a desire to ease the misery of Moscow, Terry delivered a masterclass in defending - first to every header, strongest in every challenge, the rock at the centre of the Chelsea back line. Credit should, of course, go to Barcelona, not least for securing their passage to Rome when they had to contest the last 25 minutes with only 10 men. If they had cause to complain to Ovrebo, it was for the dismissal of Abidal for a challenge on Anelka when he was almost certainly not the last man. But even before then Hiddink appeared to have the measure of this Barcelona team and was making their young manager Pep Guardiola look like something of the rookie he is. Still sore: Drogba lets rip after the whistleAfter succeeding the floundering Luiz Felipe Scolari as Chelsea's manager in February, Hiddink was about to give English football a repeat of last year's final. And he appeared to have done it by stopping a team who had put six past Real Madrid last weekend from scoring over the course of 180 utterly absorbing Champions League minutes. It did remain another exhibition of his tactical acumen, with the decision to deploy Essien in a more advanced role a managerial masterstroke.Against Juventus, against Liverpool and indeed against Barcelona last week, Essien performed the role of midfield enforcer to devastating effect. He has been a destructive force, silencing Steven Gerrard and smothering members of a Barcelona side considered among the world's most creative talents. But here Hiddink wanted the power and energy Essien provides in a more forward role, and so asked him to swap places with the older, less mobile Ballack. The plan worked beautifully, and not just because Essien scored an audacious goal but because the imposing presence of Ballack offered protection to Chelsea's back four. Let off: Pique handles Anelka's flick for one of Chelsea's penalty claimsIt worked so well that Guardiola and his team started rowing among themselves. Essien's goal was a peach, a volley struck from 22 yards that was still accelerating when it flew beyond the grasp of Victor Valdes and crashed home off the underside of the bar. Valdes probably felt fairly secure when he saw Lampard's pass spin into the air off Yaya Toure, but the man with a thousand nicknames had other ideas. The Beast, The Train - last night they suddenly all seemed appropriate. Quite how Alves, eventually suspended for the final after picking up a yellow card for a foul on Ashley Cole, did not concede a penalty when he brought down Malouda will take some explaining. As will Ovrebo's refusal to acknowledge that Abidal had indeed tugged Drogba's shirt before the Chelsea striker collapsed to the ground. As will the two other penalty decisions that might just leave Terry and his colleagues wondering if they can take any more of this. CHAMPIONS LEAGUE LIVE: All the action as it happened from Chelsea v BarcelonaFletcher's Roman tragedy: UEFA block appeal over United midfielder's red cardPICTURE SPECIAL: Arsenal star's late-night Bendtner sees Nicklas drop his trousers after Gunners' pants Euro display