There are a few rivalries on the Champions League stage that have spilt so much drama, goal fest aṇd the unforgettable storylines that it has scripted not only in the fixture’s history but also in the competition than between Chelsea and Barcelona. The factor that makes this rivalry even more immersive is its modernity, not ignited until the 20th century, with the Blues slowly turning into a prominent force to challenge the legacy Catalan giants. Overall, this fixture has been played on the Champions League stage 14 times, with each collecting four wins, with the rest ending in a draw. Except for one occasion, all the clashes have been played in the knockout stages of the competition, adding a different flavour to this fixture, with the second legs being immensely dramatic.
Here are some of the unforgettable matchups in this tie in Champions League history
Barcelona 5-1 Chelsea - 1999/00 Quarterfinal 2nd Leg (Rivaldo show)
The quarterfinal stage of the 1999/00 season offered the first glimpse of the two colossal teams clashing against each other on the Champions League stage. Chelsea had the upper hand in the very first tie, claiming an impressive 3-1 first-leg win at Stamford Bridge. Gianfranco Zola pulled the strings and Tore André Flo scored a fabulous brace with Luis Figo’s strike at the end looking more like a consolation in the tie. However, Barcelona stole the show in the second leg, making the Camp Nou an ultimate fortress for a remarkable turnaround. Ballon d'Or holder Rivaldo smashed a deflected free-kick in the 24th minute to show that a team with more history than the new powerhouse in town and boasting the likes of Pep Guardiola and Patrick Kluivert won’t bow down so easily.
Figo added the second just before half-time to level the tie with his away goal, giving the Blaugrana advantage. However, the Catalan giants looked to have thrown it all when Flo came back to bite them, pouncing on goalkeeper Ruud Hesp’s sloppy clearance. Yet, Barcelona turned up the heat in the final seven minutes with Dani García heading in the fourth goal of the evening, bringing matters level again. Even though Rivaldo fluffed to win it all late in the normal time by missing from the spot, forcing extra-time, he managed not to screw it next time he got the chance in the same manner in the 99th minute after Celestine Babayaro had been sent off for fouling the chaos-causing Figo. Victory was sealed for Barca and it only needed the icing on the cake by Kluivert to secure a 6-4 aggregate scoreline.
Chelsea 4-2 Barcelona - 2004/05 Round of 16 2nd Leg (Thriller)
This was the beginning of a ruthless rivalry between the two and the next meeting four seasons later in the 2004/05 season ignited it again. This time, it was Chelsea’s turn to make a stunning comeback at home with another goal-fest in store. Trailing 2-1 from the Round of 16 first leg at Camp Nou despite taking the lead through an own goal from Juliano Belletti, with also having star striker Didier Drogba sent off, Chelsea, managed by Jose Mourinho, had an uphill task but one they were determined to accomplish. A crazy 20-minute storm saw the Blues catching the visitors off-guard with the substitute Gudjohnsen scoring the opener inside just eight minutes, followed by strikes from Frank Lampard and Damian Duff.
Just when the tie seemed to be over, Barcelona roared back, unleashing their artistry king, Ronaldinho, to cause panic in the hosts’ defence. The Brazilian scored from the spot on the half-hour mark and then found the net again with a hip dance eight minutes later to complete a quick brace. Despite that, Chelsea were still progressing on away goals and the pressure got the better of the visitors. Not allowing the La Liga giants to score in the second half, the Blues put the tie beyond doubt when their star captain, John Terry, diverted a header from a corner in the 76th minute for Stamford Bridge to savour.
Chelsea 1-1 Barcelona - 2008/09 (Chaotic finish)
The game that will go down as one of the most controversial in Champions League history came in this fixture when Guus Hiddink’s Chelsea faced Barcelona, looking to define an era under Guardiola, who was taking the steps to be the best there ever was, in the 2008/09 season. The Blues managed to hold off the Catalan giants away in the first leg of this semifinal encounter, with the home advantage in the reverse leg favouring them. It looked like nothing was stopping them from entering a back-to-back Champions League final with a revenge replay against fellow Premier League side Manchester United in the showpiece when Michael Essein scored a screaming volley inside just nine minutes at Stamford Bridge. Then chaos ensued when repeated penalty calls from Chelsea were waved off by the referee, Tom Henning Øvrebø, most of them were highly controversial, as rampant attacks from the host caused a lot of issues in Barcelona’s defence.
One of those led to Eric Abidal's red card in the 66th minute, doubling up the problems for the guests. However, Barcelona refused to back off and, with odds stacked against them, found the strike which got them into the Champions League final. Having mustered no shot on target all evening, when Andres Iniesta scored a worldie in the 93rd minute, it tasted sweeter. Tensions boiled over after the full-time whistle, with Drogba required to be physically restrained, pointing angrily at the referee and then saying ‘F**king disgrace’ in front of the camera, which handed him a six-match ban from the competition and the club was fined £85,000 for improper conduct. The Norwegian referee was later escorted out of England by police on account of fears for his safety, with the game becoming famous or infamous for the events after rather than the football itself.
Barcelona 2-2 Chelsea - 2011-12 Semifinal 2nd Leg (Torres sends Chelsea to dreamland)
From one semifinal meeting to another and becoming more dramatic than ever, the Camp Nou battle in the 2011-12 season will go down as one of the most important results secured in the history of the Chelsea football club. That season, the Blues had one of their worst beginnings but were stitching things back to normal under former player Roberto di Mateo, who was interim to start with after serving as assistant to André Villas-Boas. Under him, the side made a dramatic run to the last four of the competition and even clinched a 1-0 first-leg win against holders Barcelona at Stamford Bridge. However, the job was half-done and the English giants had to hold off the Catalan giants at Camp Nou, which has been an unforgiving ground for the visitors, in the second leg to fulfil their dream of reaching the Champions League final.
However, it was a horrid start for the Blues as Sergio Busquets levelled the tie in the 35th minute despite Petr Cech saving a one-on-one from Lionel Messi earlier. The side’s troubles would compound when captain John Terry was sent off just two minutes later, with the 10-man defence getting breached soon after, with Iniesta being the nightmare again to put the host ahead in the tie for the first time. But then, out of nowhere, Ramires, of all people, put soul back into the visitors who looked dead after such an awful opening period, with a spectacular lob over Victor Valdes on the stroke of half-time. Chelsea knew they would advance if they held on to this scoreline, courtesy of the away goal rule, but Barcelona, especially Messi, was not giving them a rest.
The Blues were defending as if their lives depended on it, but Barcelona’s crisp passing was known to dislodge even the deepest block and a chance opened up for the host with Drogba down defending fouled Cesc Fabregas inside the penalty box. However, his blushes were spared as Messi could only hit the bar from the spot, spurning the golden opportunity for his side to come back into the tie. That proved costly as in stoppage time, with Barcelona piling men forward to get the winner, substitute Fernando Torres was sent through to sprint at the other end and finish things off to send Chelsea to dreamland. Messi had one last chance at death, but his blazing shot was tipped onto the bar by Cech to ensure the evening belonged to the Blues entirely, eliminating the holders and eventually writing their name on the trophy.
