Top 5 matches between Chelsea and Barcelona

Omkar
Barcelona celebrate
Barcelona celebrate

Chelsea and Barcelona have enjoyed a fruitful European rivalry filled with classics. Some Barcelona players have even said that during the early part of the decade, their rivalry was more fierce than the one they share with Real Madrid.

Lionel Messi, who has been on the receiving end of horrific tackles from Real Madrid players, said, “some of us here (at Barcelona) hate Chelsea more than Real Madrid, I never thought I’d hear myself say that.”

Since the year 2000, Chelsea and Barcelona have shared the same pitch 12 times. And come Wednesday, they'll lock horns for the 13th time. The series record stands at four wins for Chelsea, three for Barcelona, and four draws.

The two have battled for it all and they’ve won it all. These are the top 5 matches between Chelsea and Barcelona.


#5 UEFA Champions League Quarterfinal, 1st Leg, 2000

This was the very first match played between the two sides since the old Fairs Cup in the '60s. It was before Chelsea’s big money takeover by Russian Billionaire tycoon, Roman Abramovich and it was before the Special One, Jose Mourinho led Chelsea to league glory.

This was back in the day when Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal and Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United were the dominant English powers and Chelsea sat in the back. But this side were on the up, being carried by the brilliant Gianfranco Zola who was eager to shout his name among the European elite. He got Chelsea started in this match, scoring a gorgeous free kick from just outside the box to tack Chelsea ahead in the tie.

Chelsea weren’t finished, however, as Tore Andre Flo kept the goal-blitz going with back to back goals in the 34th and 38th minutes meaning that the Blues went into the half 3-0 up on the famed Catalan club. The 2nd half was a bit tame as Luis Figo was able to pull one back for Barcelona on the hour mark to get them a crucial away goal and to cut down the deficit to two, going back to the Nou Camp.

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#2 Champions League Quarterfinal, 2nd Leg, 2000

Rivaldo
Rivaldo in all his glory

Barcelona had to make up a 3-1 aggregate score going back home to the Camp Nou. Louis van Gaal’s Blaugrana started on the long road back with a deflected free kick from Rivaldo that put Barcelona up 1-0 on the night in the 24th minute. Luis Figo would pounce on a chance just before halftime and make it 2-0 Barca and (3-3 on aggregate).

With the aggregate score level going into the 2nd half, Chelsea knew they needed a goal to give themselves a chance and perhaps win. Tore Andre Flo came back once again to bite the hosts with a goal for the visiting Blues near the hour mark to make it 2-1 on the night and 4-3 on aggregate in Chelsea’s favour.

Substitute Dani Garcia, however, would write his name into the rivalry’s history and into Barcelona lore (curiously enough he was a Real Madrid youth product), by scoring the equaliser in the 83rd minute to make it 3-1 on the night and 4-4 on aggregate.

Both sides had scored 4 goals in 180 minutes and each had an away goal, which meant a further 30 minutes was to come. Celestine Babayaro would become the villain for Chelsea as he’d concede a penalty in the 98th minute, leading to him being sent off and for Rivaldo to step up to the spot.

Of course, he’d buried the penalty and put Barcelona in front with 20 minutes to go. Chelsea were unable to answer the Catalans and Patrick Kluivert would even get one himself to make it 5-1 that night and 6-4 on aggregate. Barcelona would advance to the Semifinals of the Champions League where they would fall to fellow Spanish foes Valencia.

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#3 Champions League Round of 16, 2nd Leg, 2005

Champions League - Chelsea v Barcelona
Champions League - Chelsea v Barcelona

The first leg was a hard fought match where Barcelona won 2-1 at the Camp Nou behind goals from Maxi Lopez and Samuel Eto’o. But Chelsea had no intention of letting Barcelona have their way at Stamford Bridge. Jose Mourinho’s team blitzed Barcelona with a three-goal beating in the first 20 minutes of the match to make it 3-0 on the night and 4-2 on aggregate in Chelsea’s favor.

With Barcelona in deep need of a spark, they luckily won a penalty thanks to a Chelsea handball, where Ronaldinho stepped up and buried the shot from the spot. 9 minutes later in the 38th minute, Ronaldinho would score an excellent, stunning goal from the edge of the box to equalise as the score was 3-3 on aggregate. Neither side was willing to give in but in the 76th minute, Captain John Terry executed a wonderful glancing headed goal from about 15 yards away.

That nodded Chelsea ahead 5-4 on aggregate and 4-2 on the night. Barcelona were unable to muster anymore goals after that and this time, five years after Barca eliminated Chelsea from the Champions League, Chelsea eliminated Barcelona in the Round of 16. Mourinho’s Chelsea would take on Bayern Munich in the Quarterfinals and would defeat them as well but would fall short to Rafa Benitez’s Liverpool in the Semifinals.

#4 Champions League Semifinal, 2nd Leg, 2009

Chelsea v Barcelona - UEFA Champions League Semi Final
Chelsea v Barcelona - UEFA Champions League Semi Final

One of the more iconic games for Football Club Barcelona, this game had quite a few talking points. It just felt like the game was working towards a signature moment, and most thought they got it right at the start. Michael Essien volleyed home a magical from the edge of the box in the 9th minute to put Chelsea up a goal to the good.

Guus Hiddink’s Chelsea were made to absorb Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona pressure for the remainder of the game, knowing that conceding even one meant the end of Chelsea’s Champions League campaign on the away goal rule. Chelsea were so close to achieving their objective but then entered the magic man for Barca, the ultimate son of Catalunya, he who was bathed in Blaugrana stripes, Andres Iniesta.

Deep into stoppage time, Andres Iniesta received the ball at the edge of the pitch where he wedged the ball right over goalkeeper Petr Cech and into the the top right corner. Off came the jersey, understanding what was to come in his magnificent career as a result of this triumph. He gleefully celebrated with his mates in the corner, as Chelsea were sunk into the woes of defeat.

Their hard work was not enough to deny Barca and that was something Manchester United would learn in the final when they would eventually fall to Barcelona as well in the final in Rome. Guardiola’s men were unstoppable, at 2009 was perhaps Barcelona at the peak of their powers. Andres Iniesta would once again have a chance to rip off his jersey in glee, when he would net the match-winning goal in the FIFA World Cup Final against the Netherlands at South Africa in 2010.

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#5 Champions League Semifinal, 2nd leg, 2012

FC Barcelona v Chelsea FC - UEFA Champions League Semi Final
FC Barcelona v Chelsea FC - UEFA Champions League Semi Final

But of course there can only be one winner here, and it won’t be Barcelona’s moment that will shine in the sun, but Chelsea’s. A spectacular semifinal worthy of a final in any competition at any stage, the Camp Nou at Barcelona was the setting for our scene. This matchup was the very last time both sides shared the pitch and it delivered perhaps the greatest turn of events in the rivalry’s history.

After a gritty 1st leg at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea came into the Camp Nou 1-0 up on aggregate. Sergio Busquets began the proceedings with a goal from inside the box in the 35th minute. Andres Iniesta would really ramp up the pressure on the Blues with another goal in the 43rd minute, putting Barca up 2-0 on the night and 2-1 up on aggregate. Chelsea knew that they just needed one goal to get back on the front foot, that away goal to nod them ahead. And they would get it when Ramires made his surging run into the box, and confidently and cheekily chipped the goalkeeper for Barcelona, Victor Valdes.

An absolute piece of magic to surge the English side ahead just before the half. A 1st half full of insane drama and the weight of momentum shifting more than an illegal street car. Barcelona would put on the pressure for the majority of the half but were unable to penetrate the Chelsea defence which stood strong, sturdily, and confidently, led by their captain Terry.

And deep into stoppage time, with Barcelona sending most of their numbers forward, Chelsea cleared a cross into the box where Fernando Torres took off and controlled the launched long ball. Having been onside due to the fact that the ball was played while he was still in his own half, Torres was straight through with acres of space between himself and Barcelona goalkeeper, Victor Valdes.

Torres ran down the middle of the pitch in solitude as the capacity crowd at the Camp Nou watched in horror as their Champions League dreams were crushed, one stride at a time by the former Atletico Madrid Spaniard

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Edited by Amit Mishra