The biggest rivalries that originated in the UEFA Champions League

#1 Barcelona vs Chelsea

Iniesta's stoppage-time winner vs Chelsea was marred with controversy

This was never meant to be a rivalry. Two teams that don’t have anything against each other. Their meetings till 2000 never gave a rise to a rivalry.

Then who did? Who else? Jose Mourinho, yet again. If there is a rivalry against Barcelona then Mourinho will be at the epicentre of it.

Chelsea and Barcelona faced each other in 2005 over two legs in the round of 16. Barcelona won at the Nou Camp 2-1. The return leg at the Bridge saw Chelsea accelerate quickly to 3-0. But Ronaldinho took things on his own hands and struck two back, to level it up on aggregate. John Terry hit the final nail in Chelsea’s victory with his 74th-minute strike.

Next season, Barca would take sweet revenge, in the same stage of the game. Barcelona visited Stamford Bridge, with a little kid on their side, called Lionel Messi.

The problems that Leo caused from the right wing were countless. Robben, Del Horno, Makelele, Terry, no one seemed to get a leg on him. Nearing the halftime mark, Messi strode through the right wing and Robben powered him off the ball, Messi won it back near the baseline and turned away from Robben’s tackle.

In an attempt to go for the ball, Messi went right into the charging Asier Del Horno who bundled Leo over with full momentum. Del Horno was shown a straight red.

Mourinho blamed Messi for overdoing the effects of the tackle which didn’t go well with Cules. Lionel Messi himself developed a hatred for Chelsea. He said and I quote, “We would play Arsenal, Manchester United or anyone else than be on the same pitch as Chelsea”.

The two teams became enemies but no one thought of the heights their rivalry would reach in 2009. The Champions League semi-final 1st leg ended in a 0-0 draw.

The visit to Stamford Bridge was one of the most infamous matches in the history of the sport. It included some horrendous refereeing decisions against both sides.

Chelsea did take the lead through Michael Essien but referee Overbo was just about to start going bonkers. Prior to the goal, he failed to spot Ballack’s handball in the box. Dani Alves tackled Malouda just inside the box it seemed but Overbo gave a freekick just outside.

There was a shirt pull by Abidal on Drogba but Abidal let go of the shirt when Valdes arrived and Drogba went down with a little mix of theatrics. The shirt pull was valid and should have been a penalty but the playacting put Overbo in a dilemma.

Drogba cried for another penalty when Toure slid in on him, but Overbo go that perfectly right. The next blunder by Overbo came due to Nicolas Anelka, a dive by Anelka and Abidal was sent off.

Referee Tom Henning Overbo was far from satisfactory: Barcelona vs Chelsea, Semi Final, 2009

Iniesta sealed the game with his stoppage-time winner and Drogba seemed like he would kill Overbo. A great football match ruined by a bad decision.

Though, the scars of 2009, burned on Chelsea. They returned in 2012 having won at home to Camp Nou, and Lionel Messi’s penalty off the crossbar was cleared right into the path of El Nino. Fernando Torres, Barcelona’s arch nemesis from his Atletico days, slid the ball past Valdes. The Barcelona dressing room was in tears, distorted, while Chelsea went on to lift the trophy against Bayern Munich in the finals.

Barcelona hit back last year against Chelsea in the Round of 16. The visit to Stamford Bridge was a spectacular performance by Busquets. Iniesta beat Azpilicueta for pace and won the ball from Christensen’s mistake.

He played in Messi, for his first goal against Chelsea. The Artist, Andres Iniesta, still on top of the Bridge.

The visit to Camp Nou and Barcelona send Chelsea flying with a brace from Lionel Messi. Barcelona avenged their 2012 defeat.

One of the greatest rivalries ever, which started in the Champions League.