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Chelsea: Beating Barcelona Trumps Liverpool's Comeback In Istanbul
Beating Barcelona at the Nou Camp, with ten men, no centre backs and coming from two goals down? Chelsea's achievement surpasses Liverpool's any day of the week.
Beating Barcelona at the Nou Camp, with ten men, no centre backs and coming from two goals down? Chelsea’s achievement surpasses Liverpool’s any day of the week.
Ask any Liverpool fan the question and it will definitely be your answer. In fact, ask any football fan the question and they will most likely say the same. What is the greatest comeback in European football history? Well of course, it’s Liverpool’s famous victory in Istanbul. From what seemed certain annihilation, Liverpool pegged Milan back from three goals behind to win the game on penalties. The comeback of all comebacks. It was hard to picture such an achievement ever being matched. Last night in Barcelona, however, as Fernando Torres rounded Victor Valdes, Chelsea may have stolen Liverpool’s comeback crown.
In the context of the whole tie, Barcelona only led for three minutes. Yet, if we are to take the 90 minutes at the Nou Camp in isolation, Chelsea’s achieved a comeback that was arguably even more impressive than Liverpool’s. Chelsea were 2 – 0 down to Barcelona. At the Nou Camp. With ten men. This is the worst nightmare scenario for nearly every manager working in football today. With equal numbers, Barcelona can still cut apart most teams at will, teams have no option but to throw nearly everyone behind the ball. A man down however, there is no longer even the luxury for an outlet up front. It is a simple formation of 1 goalkeeper, 5 defenders, 4 defensive midfielders. On top of this, Chelsea had two right backs playing centre back (and one of them was Jose Bosingwa.) Only the brash, stupid, or most hardcore shed end season ticket holder could have seen a final score-line of 2-2 as Iniesta stroked home the second.
In the second half, Chelsea were the archetypal underdogs. Displaying a hard-working, team ethos not always seen this season, they dug in, packed the midfield and just about kept Barcelona out. Barcelona with Lionel Messi. Barcelona, reigning champions of Europe. The sheer unlikeliness of Chelsea’s achievement matches that of Liverpool’s. Chelsea’s triumph, however, is arguably more impressive.
A poor Barcelona side would not still achieve 73 % possession. This result was all down to Chelsea and the 10 men playing in that second half.
Milan’s first half performance in Istanbul lacked was sensational. Crespo’s second goal in particular, a dinked finish from Kaka’s stunning through ball, lingers in the memory. Liverpool were totally outclassed in that first half of football, they simply could not compete with Milan. In the second half, however, they remarkably reversed the deficit. The same players were on the field (Didi Hamman’s introduction did provide presence and possession in midfield) so while Liverpool’s game was certainly raised, Milan’s collapsed. Milan took their foot off the gas, ready to kick into cruise control. Once their lethargy had been realized, the Italian club began to dominate once again. Liverpool needed the same luck (Shevchenko missing a sitter) and resolve to win as Chelsea. Unlike Chelsea, however, Liverpool were playing at a neutral ground and with 11 men. They also had a captain fulfilling his duties, not kneeing people in the back.
Chelsea undoubtedly rode their luck in a similar way. How many times would Messi’s shots usually have crept in at Cech’s left had post, or just under the crossbar? Yet this was not a particularly off-colour Barcelona. Barcelona played the same game they always do. A poor Barcelona side would not still achieve 73 % possession. This result was all down to Chelsea and the 10 men playing in that second half. Their discipline, drive and togetherness brought them back into a game seemingly beyond any team. During his time at Liverpool, Fernando Torres must have always felt a tinge of regret he was not part of the greatest Champions League comeback in history. He doesn’t have to anymore.
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COMMENTS
Awaits Owen Blackhurst's backlash...
what a load of shite
rubbish liverpool came back from 3-0 and won the champions league.
you must be kidding. You're comparing this to 3 -Zip second half of a champions league final. When you get one, you will know what I mean. and anyway we've beat most of the big clubs at their homes and that includes Barca.
Didnt they draw you prick?
No way the Liverpool win was over shadowed by this game between Chelsea and Barca, as amazing as it was.
So 3-0 down at half time in the final is trumped by a defensive display in a 2 legged semi-final??? Hahahahahahahhahahhahahahhahahahahahhahahahahahhahahahhahahahahhahahahahhahahahhahahahhahahahhahahahhahahahhahahahhahahhahahhahaha........hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!
Ok not taking anything away from the performance of Chelski but when they make a movie out of that game and the fans are joined in lifting their team at half time even though they were dead and buried - nothing will ever match that night. FACT
BWAAAAAAAAAAH HA HA HA HA Seriously this is a joke? Right? Liverpool were down 3-0 at half time in a Champions league final FINAL. Even the Man United come back against Bayern was more epic
erm , LFC GOT A HUGE TROPHY , HAVE CHEATSKI WON ANYTHING YET ????
dnt b ridiculous.lpool win in istanbul is stil d best.last nite is nt even close to dat of inter nd barca in 2010.so pls shut up u hv no idea wat u re talkng about.
Im a Chelsea fan, but as sensational and as amazing last night was, lets face the facts. Liverpool did it in a final from 3-0 down, that is the comeback of all comebacks. Last night may have been tougher due to having 10 men and being against a stronger side, but the fact Liverpool were 3-0 down and it was the final makes it more remarkable. Simply because they were on course for the biggest final defeat of all time, complete embarrassment awaited, whereas if we got hammered we had an excuse, so pressure was off. The pressure on those Liverpool players shoulders must have been immense! Heres hoping for a Real-Chelsea final and a Chelsea win!!!
this shouldn t have been written,dimwit duuuuu,ynwa
Seriously?? This is some sort of wind up??? So having to CHASE a game... actually HAVING to score, and coming back from an utter mauling in the first half to WIN the Champions League in the Final, somehow doesn't compare with a second half of putting 10 men inside your own box and hoping for the best? In fairness to Chelsea, they did what they did well - but what they actually did was stand in their own box and try to block anything that Barcelona threw at them (which combined with a LOT of luck) the did well, but they didn't have to do anything else. From kick-off in the second half their only target was to stop Barcelona, not take the game to them. This article couldn't be further from the mark, it was a great achievement last night but absolutely nothing like Istanbul 2005.
This article was written so we reds would take the bait,and most of us have.Great comeback Chelsea,but comparing this to Istanbul is nonsense.
What a joke. That means the writer is very very jealous of LFC's achievement in Istanbul. Last nite, Chelsea played defensively well but had to count on luck too. Keep on dreaming mate, win the final first, then start your bla bla bla
This bloke must be pi55ed or on drugs ... he is talking out of his @rse.
U mean better than A.C. Milan vs Liverpool at Istanbul? A game with Liverppol down 3 - 0 against arguably the best club team in the world at the time, with only 45 minutes of play left? A major final - Champions League Final? U must be kidding!
Fair play to Chelsea, great result - but let's be serious eh
I would recommend you look up 'tripe' in the dictionary, but of course you sold your dictionary to get the money for the drugs you needed to write this article.
No, Chelsea's achievement does not match Liverpool FC's feat in Istanbul. Liverpool played real football achieving their win while Chelsea cowardly parked the bus and ran and mugged Barcelona. Unfortunately, Barcelona's name is not on this year's cup.
I am a Man Utd fan but i believe Chelsea's performance was epic and beats Istanbul simply because of oppositions quality and 10 men fight. Why blame Chelsea's defensive display when no other team could come out with a better plan.
Never seen a trophy being lifted last night . Did I miss something ?
Firstly lets get it right chelsea 2-0 down in the first half and down to 10 men but all they really had to do was score 1 goal to win the match which is what happened and regardless of the torres goal in the last minute of the game all they had to do was defend against a very good team that only wanted to attack through the middle so compact all 10 players in the middle of your defence and it makes your job easier, This was chealsea's greatest night but will never surpass that comback of all combacks in 2005.
Really ? Come on, Chelsea done well, but if they lose in the final, this story really will be even more of a joke than it already is.
THEY DIDN'T WIN THE FUCKING THING! JESUS I HATE THE SCOUSERS BUT THEY AT LEAST WON IT!! UNITED VS JUVE WAS A TEN TIMES BETTER SEMI TOO. HEAVENS!!
This is a joke, right? Liverpool had to go and score three goals against one of the best defences the game has ever seen in just 45 minutes and managed it. Not to mention the extra pressure of it being the final. At no time over the two Barca-Chelsea games were Chelsea in need of scoring more than a solitary goal against a dodgy defence. Fair play to them for doing it, especially with ten men, but last night wouldn't even rank in the top ten CL 'comebacks'. Chelsea were on course to go out of the competition for a total of about three mins over the two entire games. How on earth can this be described as a comeback at all??!
haha typifies that type of twat that supports chelsea to actually agree with this! it was the best result in chelseas 8 year history though there can be no doubt about that
We had Djimi Traore.
OMG how can you compare liverpool comeback with that of chelsea..liverpool win the cup in a superb final whereas chelsea go in to the final and they won't be able to surpass either real or bayern....as for the match against barcelona they were 10 men defending from start to finish...
"Beating Barcelona at the Nou Camp, with ten men, no centre backs and coming from two goals down?" They didn't beat Barcelona at the Nou Camp, it was a draw.
looks like joe hall has caught a lot of fish today....provocative but what a load of cock you write sir! Damn, I'm hooked :/
joe hall has a massive big dick
'We had Djimi Traore' - so in effect, we had 10 men as well!
This is troll bait, no?
What fun you must have in your tiny little mind, Joe.
Good result for Chelwski no doubt - but "better" than Istanbul? BOLLOCKS!
Bollocks, you didn't have to come from three goals back in one match, you had to score one, ONE goal at the Nou Camp. That is no different to Inter beating Barca or Liverpool beating Barca a few years prior. Liverpool came back with a side that included Dudek,Traore,Smicer and Baros a side that just about cost 60 odd million and at 3 STILL attacking Milan. Chelsea's billion dollar side had to defend their goal line all match with Catenaccio. There was nothing "heroic" about it. You don't here Liverpool fans calling their win against CL favourites Juventus anything more than what it was. Sadly Chelsea fans are trying look for a bit o history.
Dear Sir, I will not call you names but I will carefully pick apart your argument: 1. Defending (or parking the bus) against the best ATTACKING team in Europe surely plays second to scoring 3 in 6 minutes against the best defense Europe has perhaps ever seen (Maldini, Stam, Cafu, Nesta. ARE YOU KIDDING?) 2. I see your no center-backs and raise you one Djimi Traore. 3. Chelsea's talisman captain got uselessly sent off, Liverpool's captain inspired a historic comeback. I challenge you to show me a greater example of leadership in sport. 4.Milan had a full team, Barcelona were missing their best striker, David Villa. Good wind up, Best, Sidney Poitier
Also, shevchenko didn't "miss a sitter", it was saved in a moment of papal intervention by Jerzy Dudek.
This guy has probably wasted a hour or so of his life writing this article. It's a load of rubbish, 3-0 down at half time in the FINAL against one of the superpowers of world football, to come back and actually life the trophy, it beats dogged defending all day long
Greater comeback? Maybe not. Greater achievement? No doubt. But what these teams really show you is that cups can be the salvation of struggling teams and struggling managers. By the end of this season, Liverpool, a mediocre premier league team at best, could have achieved a domestic cup double. Similarly, Chelsea, still with elements of greatness about them but a fast fading force could have achieved a domestic and international cup double. Most times the best team wins the champions league. Sometimes teams luck it, Liverpool 2005, maybe Chelsea 2012? And is cup sucess a sign of premier league success to come. Better check how Liverpool, Birmingham and Portsmouth have been getting on.
There simply is no arguement here. Chelsea's achievement does not compare to Liverpool's achievement in Instanbul on that famous night in 2005. Let's see what Chelsea does in Munich next month when they will be competing with a team that is equally physical as them. Come on Bayern.
What a joke... Are you sure you watched the liverpool match???? Ur a joke and should maybe consider writing cartoon strips. Chelsea went in with the right attitude and deserved the win, but to compare it to a final off just one leg and 3 goals down is ridiculous...
United fan here. Both games where epic but would 1999 not get a mention. 2 goals in 2mins (in stoppage time) against Bayern Munich in the final?? And even a Liverpool fan would say that its not easy..
@ IrishRed... Yes definitely... That was better than the Chelsea win as well...
Hold it there! Be gentle on the writer. He only meant Liver could have done that 6mins comeback with 1-man-down against AC milan of then or Barcelona of now. If they could or can, then it must be the God-of-Chelsea that would have been at full-time-work. ISTANBUL WAS GREAT, but can u even entertain the idea that Liver is playing 1man and 3goals down to Barca to win? Lol. Premiership would have been mispelt.
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