Barcelona - Chelsea

[Ron Obvious]

There are days when I almost hate football and turn off the television in disgust at the world's most boring and tedious sport. You all know the kind of days I mean. See most of WC 2010 or 2006. for example.

And then there are days like this. Barcelona - Chelsea. Two teams I rather dislike as a rule, but somehow my sympathies were engaged. After that twat John Terry went off and Barcelona went 2-0 up, I came within an inch of turning off the TV. With my hand on the dial, Ramires scored out of the blue to give Chelsea an unexpected, and possibly undeserved lead on away goals scored. I decided to keep watching.

Then the second half. Messi missing a penalty and hitting the post. Somehow it wasn't going be his day. It was in the air. Barcelona were actually quite predictable. No plan B, everything over Alves on the right and into the box and then nowhere. And then of course, the biggest waste of money, Fernando Torres, suddenly justifying his price tag. I'm not ashamed to admit that I screamed in delight.

That was absolutely Homeric as far as I'm concerned. Football, eh? Bloody Hell! The world's greatest sport!

[Upton]

1. I hate Chelsea..

but I dislike Barca even more. I'm tired of hearing the line of how they're the greatest team in the history of football..or we've never seen the likes of Messi.

That so called greatest team was just eliminated by the 6th place EPL club playing most of the game with 10 men and without their two starting central defenders. Heck, Barca won't even win La Liga this year..

Messi hasn't scored in 7 meetings against Chelsea, he looked nervous before missing the penalty. He's also never scored in the WC. Great players do more than pad their stats against lesser clubs, great players come up big time and again in big matches..

As for Torres..screw him. His goal didn't matter..there was only about a minute of stoppage time left and Chelsea were already going through...and it was pretty obvious Barca could have played another hour and not scored.

[mactime]

2. Lesser of 2 evils

Looking forward to the Chelsea - Bayern final now

[HuckleB]

7. That can happen in the Champions League.

And even in MLS.

Alas, such an upset is so meaningful anywhere else.

[Marooned]

3. I don't like either team

but that was an exciting game. Like you I almost turned it off when Barca went up 2-nil and Chelski was down to 10 men, I still don't know why I didn't because at that time it looked like the rout was on. But I stuck it out and watched one of the biggest upsets in CL history. I thought the Torres score was poetic justice for a fine player going through a rough patch in his career.

I'm looking forward to some of the European critics comments in the next few days that came forward after the first leg complaining about the style of football Chelsea played. Evidently to them it's better to lose playing "beautiful" football than have a chance to win a trophy using strategy and tactics.

How Chelsea will do in the finals will be interesting with so many players disqualified. I'm sure Di Matteo will come up with something effective if not pretty. He really deserves to be named the manager for what he's done since AVB was fired.

[Rambis]

4. John Terry is a fooking disgrace!

I hope to see a repeat of this V Bayern

[truebrit71]

5. Ummm, he's suspended...so you'll have to wait 'til next year at least...

...and yes, he's a complete disgrace...

[Rambis]

6. I still want to see him cry