Chelsea 1-0 Barcelona

Drogba strike ensures Blues take Champions League semi-final lead to Camp Nou

A committed defensive performance, rounded off by the Ivorian's breakaway goal just before half-time, secured the hosts a slim advantage ahead of the Camp Nou return leg

Didier Drogba produced a crucial goal on the counter to top off an excellent defensive display as Chelsea took a 1-0 lead over Barcelona in their Champions League semi-final first leg at Stamford Bridge.

Alexis Sanchez hit the bar early on and Cesc Fabregas had a weak effort cleared off the line before Drogba finished a smart break in first-half stoppage time.

The Blues then shut Barca down effectively in a chance-scarce second period, until Pedro hit the post and Sergio Busquets launched the rebound feebly over at the death.

The Ivorian's stunning opener against Tottenham on Sunday convinced Roberto Di Matteo to pick Drogba up front at Fernando Torres’ expense, with Gary Cahill replacing the injured David Luiz. Raul Meireles and Branislav Ivanovic were also both recalled.

Pep Guardiola opted for Javier Mascherano ahead of Gerard Pique at centre-back, with Fabregas starting against a Blues side he knows well and Lionel Messi seeking to end a record of six games without scoring against Chelsea.

Barca immediately began dominating possession but Drogba posed problems early on, a canny flick to burst free of Mascherano let down when the remaining defender, Carles Puyol, intercepted his looser second touch.

The visitors’ patient build-up was suddenly punctuated, though, by an Andres Iniesta through-ball that bypassed Chelsea’s defence and found Alexis free in the area. He deftly dinked it over Petr Cech but unluckily saw it come back off the crossbar.

A hairy moment in the opposite box followed when Chelsea’s long throw almost broke for John Terry, but Dani Alves just scraped it away in time.

Barca were not yet producing their best but should have been in front after 16 minutes. Messi dragged two defenders out of the way before cutting back to Iniesta, whose shot was parried by Cech. The rebound came to Fabregas but he inexplicably scuffed wide.

Midway through the half, Barca were slowly turning up the pressure. First Fabregas forced a near-post save from Cech before Messi leapt on the edge of the box to head an Alexis cross into the stretching keeper’s arms.

A patchy period followed with a few niggling fouls and no great creation. Chelsea were quashing much of the Catalonians’ attacking prospects.

Their resistance was nearly broken on 42 minutes, however, when Barca broke with Messi. The Argentine slid in Fabregas to his left, but his colleague’s attempt to lift it gently over Cech was too underpowered and Ashley Cole arrived to clear off the line.

Half-time parity seemed inevitable but, in added time, Chelsea suddenly broke. Ramires controlled well on the left flank and slipped a perfectly-weighted pass across the box, where Drogba was waiting to finish just past the grasping Victor Valdes.

Barcelona probed after the break, Adriano cutting in on his right foot to send Cech flying to his left to save, but Chelsea’s first corner moments later saw Lampard’s swinger narrowly evade two blue shirts on its way past.

Alexis came close again when Fabregas’ inventive scoop over played the Chilean in at point-blank range, but he had little space to aim into and poked the ball wide.

The half dragged on with little extra purchase for the visitors. Messi attempted more than one run forward from deep into the box but was thwarted first by Cahill and then Terry, with Pedro introduced by Guardiola in place of Alexis in the hopes of better testing the resilient Blues.

It had little effect, though, with clear-cut chances absent and the visitors, short of ideas, looking unlikely to force their way through. 

As they pushed up in desperation, Drogba was able to battle past on the break, but his through-ball into the path of substitute Salomon Kalou on 80 minutes was a touch too strong and the opportunity was gone.

Barca's closest moment in the second half came when Messi's 87th-minute free kick was flicked on by a crouching Puyol. Substitute Thiago Alcantara flashed at it but couldn't make contact, yet Cech still had to do well to dive and parry.

The visitors, though, should really have equalised at the very last. 

Despite Terry's initial excellent tackle to snuff out one chance, Pedro sliced a shot against the post before  Busquets, with the goal at his mercy, lofted the ball disastrously over to ensure that the Blaugrana will return to Camp Nou behind on aggregate.

Source: goal.com

What is your opinion? Which teams will reach the final????

5 Reasons to Believe Fernando Torres Will Be Good Again for Chelsea

Fernando Torres' first few years at Chelsea haven't lived up to the expectations ...

 ... but there's plenty of reason to believe he can return to top form for the historic West London club.

Torres has begun to get his game back this season for Chelsea, becoming more of a creator and an asset to a lagging Chelsea team who fear their worst Premier League finish in over a decade. 

The future is bright for Torres, who hasn't been put in the ideal situation to succeed compared to the position he had for Liverpool during their latest solid run.

Torres' full game has begun to be on full display for Chelsea and future moves within the organization look to put him in the best spot possible to succeed and become—yet again—an elite Premier League player.

Let's take a look at some reasons why Torres will return to greatness with Chelsea.  

Reason nr. 1:

The shockingly short tenure of former manager Andre Villas-Boas couldn't end soon enough for Torres, who wasn't honored to his full ability by his former manager. AVB was too busy winning over players like John Terry and Didier Drogba to worry about arguably their best player. 

Since Roberto Di Matteo took over for Chelsea in early March, Torres has been treated the way he "deserves", according to his management company. 

Torres has scored a respectable two goals since the managerial switch, but Di Matteo is giving him the playing time and attention that his £50 million contract deserves.

He has become a much more explosive and creative player since the switch. Chelsea was cruising to a 1-0 victory against Manchester City behind Torres' pesky play before he was substituted. They went on to lose, 2-1.   

The Spaniard became one of the world's best players at Liverpool by being the team's main striker on the pitch, something he couldn't be under AVB. 

Reason nr. 2

Didier Drogba has had his good times and his bad times at Chelsea, but both of those seem to be reaching their final days this season.

After rejecting a deal that would keep him in Chelsea for one more year, it looks inevitable that he will land with the highest bidder.

Many teams have been courting Drogba from all over, from the Premier League to the MLS to Shanghai. The 34-year-old Drogba most likely isn't pulling in the biggest offer from Chelsea.

Torres and the Ivory Coast native Drogba have been essentially competing for Chelsea's lone striker position and rarely see similar time on the pitch. Drogba's departure opens the door for Torres, who will play at his top potential behind a manager that believes in him and a striker position that's all his own.

Torres won't have to worry about Chelsea's long-time star breathing down his neck anymore once Drogba departs. 

Reason nr. 3:

Torres won't be able to do much of his damage beside Drogba and Frank Lampard, two players who want the shot and have a goal-scoring knack similar to Torres. He'll be able to thrive playing beside forwards Juan Mata and Salomon Kalou much more so.

Torres' game revolves so much around him being the main option offensively, which is what fueled his elite run with Liverpool. He hasn't been given the star of Chelsea's offense, which he'll have playing in front of Mata and Kalou.

Kalou's transfer rumors have died down in the last few months, but there's still a big possibility for the Ivory Coast native to depart along with his countryman, Drogba. If Chelsea is trying to build behind Torres, Kalou would be a big piece to keep around. 

Chelsea pulled out the checkbook to bring in Mata, who boosts Chelsea's aging midfield and allows fellow Spaniard Torres to do what he does best—invade the penalty area and score goals. 

Reason nr. 4: 

If you've seen this sight of Fernando Torres in a Spain jersey, cherish it, because it isn't around too often anymore.

Torres became irrelevant for his national team during their run to a World Cup victory in 2010, getting replaced in key games with the likes of Fernando Llorente, not exactly a high-caliber replacement for a Spanish team. 

Fortunately for Spain, they had enough talent to bring them to a championship, but they didn't get much of that help for Torres. Since then, he's only appeared in two competitive international matches for Spain with no goals.

Spain's depth of top talent is ridiculous, and they won't miss Torres if he's diminished to a smaller role in Euro 2012 and beyond, but it should help him to focus more on his club game, which desperately needs it. 

Reason nr. 5:

After an incredibly woeful beginning to Torres' time at Chelsea, he has started to pick his game up greatly and is become the Fernando Torres of old.

It couldn't have come sooner for Chelsea fans.

Chelsea is amidst its worst season in years as they threaten to finish outside of the top four for the first time since the 2001-02 season. Torres was just 17 years old at the time. 

Torres needs to be in top form both physically and mentally in order to flourish with Chelsea. He seems to be getting closer to the game he displayed in his run with Liverpool.

Source: Bleacher Report

Didier Drogba will 'go where he is offered the most money' says agent

Didier Drogba has turned down a new contract offer and a loan move to Milan. 

Didier Drogba's agent has revealed the striker has snubbed Chelsea's offer of a one-year contract extension and vowed to "go where he is offered the most money" after turning down a loan move to Milan.

The 33-year-old Ivory Coast striker looks set to walk away from Stamford Bridge for nothing when his contract expires next summer. And his agent, Thierno Seydi, is weighing up lucrative options including possible moves to America, Russia or Asia.

"Didier has had the offer of a one-year extension from Chelsea. That does not suit us," Seydi is quoted as saying by the Sun. "We know what we want, where we want to go and what offers we have.

"Milan came in for Didier on loan with an option to buy but I said 'No' straight away. Their offer did not interest us.

"At Didier's age, he has nothing left to prove as a player. He will go where he is offered the most money. It could be the United States, Russia, Qatar or somewhere else in Asia. Once you are well into your 30s you have to go to a club where you can be certain you'll be able to pay your bills.

"LA Galaxy are a possibility among many others. He has been linked with Anzhi Makhachkala in Russia, as they pay well. But neither Didier nor I have had an offer from them."

Source: the guardian