The Champions League is a competition with a tense atmosphere. Sometimes strategy alone is not enough to win the ‘big ear’ trophy. All teams need a good mentality. The results of the game can change quickly. Victory that is in sight, suddenly disappears in a very painful way. Sir Alex Ferguson, the legendary Manager of Manchester United, once described the Champions League competition as “Bloody Hell”
11 years ago, the 2009 Champions League semifinal leg between Chelsea v Barcelona was an example of a big match that created the great drama of Champions League football. Despite being beaten by three English clubs, Barcelona is actually the top seed to win the 2009 Champions League. El Barca is entering a new era under the young Manager, Joseph Guardiola.
Pep was only 37 years old, wading through the inaugural season of El-Blaugrana in the 2008/2009 season replacing the Frank Rijkaard regime. Pep overhauled a large Barca squad, one of which got rid of the big star Camp Nou idol, Ronaldinho. Pep doesn’t need a big star that has a negative influence on the team.
Pep who understands the philosophy of Barcelona that instilled the late Cruijff relies on La Masia academic players, namely Gerard Pique, Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquet, and Lionel Messi as the main protagonist of Ronaldinho’s successor.
Pep created a concept that we later came to know by the name of Tiki-taka. Barcelona was transformed into a super team, look stunning and bewitching the public football with entertaining games with dominating dominant ball control. Barcelona’s journey to the semifinals is very convincing with many big wins with goals from Messi, Samuel Eto’o, or Henry. In La Liga they are also so dominant leaving far Real Madrid and other competitors.
Before fighting Chelsea in the semifinals, Barcelona mightily crushed Real Madrid 6-2 at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium. One of Madrid’s most embarrassing defeats at home in the El-Clasico header. Armed with that terrible victory, of course Barcelona is more favored ahead of Chelsea to be able to win a final ticket, which is planned to be held May 27, 2009 in Rome. There was almost no chance for Chelsea to withstand the waves of Barcelona.
But football, especially the Champions League, is not as easy as anyone predicted. Chelsea with a fighter soul under coach Guus Hiddink, not afraid of the opponent’s big name. In leg-1 at Camp Nou, Chelsea appeared tight and disciplined, they were able to withstand the onslaught that was built by Barcelona, and successfully held the host 0-0. An impenetrable defense makes Messi and friends look frustrated. Perhaps it was the first time Barcelona failed to score even one goal in one match, let alone play at home.
Terry, Michael Ballack, Frank Lampard won important capital to bring Pep and his troops into the decisive leg-2 at Stamford Bridge, London. The public began to believe, Barcelona could be overthrown, with the right tactics. The confidence of the West London squad is getting stronger.
Leg-2 hasn’t changed much. Chelsea must be forced to survive despite competing in their own headquarters. But Chelsea actually managed to lead 1-0 in the 9th minute through volley speculation midfielder Michel Essisien from a distance of 25 meters that could not be saved by Victor Valdes.
Chelsea had the upper hand, and after winning one goal, they increasingly close ranks to desperately defend the victory. The pattern they have understood with experience at Camp Nou. Even though time is still long.
After an hour of hard-hitting duel, Barcelona player Eric Abidal was red-carded by referee Tom Henning Ovrebo for violating Nicolas Anelka on the side of the Barcelona penalty box. The London drama starts from this moment. Only against ten players, and already superior makes Chelsea are very confident they will win and get the final ticket again. When in fact they are still in great danger. The rest of the game with the advantage of the number of players, Chelsea can not be used to secure the duel. Drogba and Lampard missed their chance to ‘end’ the fight.
As for Barcelona, there is no choice but to make a equalizer. Barcelona continues to try to build attacks but still have difficulty penetrating the Chelsea defense. But they continue to try to create the slightest opportunity.
They show strength and courage, which in turn gets what they stand for. The decisive equalizer, in the 93rd minute. Through an attack from the right wing, Iniesta shot the ball through the shell of his right foot from outside the penalty box after getting a soft pass from Messi in the box. The ball passed through the crowd of players and slightly obstructed the view of Peter Cech. Long shot by Iniesta is the first shot on target during the match.
The host did not believe it, lamenting the defense that has been built from two matches, finally penetrated too. At the same time the Barcelona player was struck by extraordinary excitement. They celebrated long enough and Pep joined the celebration.
But the drama isn’t over yet. The last two minutes Chelsea still get one chance. From Frank Lampard’s corner ball the ball was met by Michael Ballack, but could be driven away by Barcelona striker Samuel Eto’o who dropped to the back. It’s just that Eto’o drove the ball with his arms. But the referee Ovrebo did not point to the white point for Chelsea. Ballack, Drogba, and Bosingwa were enraged by cursing Ovrebo’s referees, but all the criticism and protests did not change the results, even though Ovrebo’s controversy was deemed to have failed to lead this duel.
After the match was completely over, the Barcelona players rejoiced. Pep is very happy. While Chelsea’s ambitions again foundered. After the tragic defeat in the 2008 Moscow final by United, now painfully the final ticket is already in sight at Stamford Bridge. As for the Catalan club, the victory in London is a game that determines some important history for their own club, and for European football and the world as a whole.
After this critical moment, Barcelona’s Pep Guardiola won an extraordinary treble winner; Pep became the youngest manager to win the Champions League, at the age of 38; Barcelona then ruled La Liga with a hat trick and regained the 2011 Champions League. The moment to win the 2009 Champions League in style and class also brought Lionel Messi to Balllon d’Or 2009. The first golden ball of La Pulga, until then up to six times.
