Referee received death threats smuggled out of London

• zocoss

  3 May 09, 22:54

      VS  

   

  Chelsea vs Barcelona

  Wednesday, 6 May 2009    

  Channel 23:  -  2:45am  "Live"  - (Thur Morning)

   

   

   

   

     

   

   

   

   

• limpper

  3 May 09, 22:56

  im backing barce to be in the final

• zocoss

  3 May 09, 22:57

  Lionel Messi: Barcelona will win open game with Chelsea in Champions League second leg

  

  Messi: expecting to reach the Final

   

   

   

   

  Lionel Messi expects Barcelona to reach the Champions League Final despite the home draw with Chelsea in the semi-final first leg at the Nou Camp last Tuesday.

  The Argentine striker claims the game will open up in the return leg at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday and play right into the hands of the Spanish giants.

  Messi, like the vast majority of his team-mates, was annoyed with the tactics employed by Chelsea in the opening clash and claimed they can ill afford to adopt such a negative approach when they meet again.

  "It's not the end of the world because we failed to win in Spain," said Messi."Nobody could accuse us of not wanting to secure victory.

  "But there was one team that wanted to play and another that was content to sit back, soak up pressure and defend.

  But the second game will be completely different." Messi believes Chelsea will have to be more on the offensive.

  He said: "Chelsea will have to open up and play some football and we know we have the players who are capable of really hurting them." He expects Chelsea going on the front foot at Stamford Bridge will play right into the hands of Barcelona.

  "We have a system designed to hit teams on the break and if Chelsea pour forward, gaps will appear and we aim to exploit them," he added.

   

• Scania N113CRB l0v3r

  3 May 09, 22:58

  After a 6-2 win
  
  
  Bar can win Chelsea

• gigabyte14

  3 May 09, 23:08

  methinks

  a penalty

• Y_Shun

  3 May 09, 23:09

  I have no idea.

  Although I feel Barcelona can get a few goals. Just hope Chelsea can do their best.

• youyayu

  3 May 09, 23:10

  maybe barcelona also park bus.

  but chelsea able to score.

  then guss will say

  you all park bus cannot win!

• limpper

  3 May 09, 23:10

  i say, barce to win, 1-0 or 2-1

• zocoss

  3 May 09, 23:11

  Chelsea are a different kettle of fish... Real even can lose by 4 goals to Pool but Pool lost to Chelsea... So it can roughly tell you this Chelsea side is far more stronger with Guus in charge rather than Scolari...

  My guess is Blues to win even if by penalties...

   

• limpper

  3 May 09, 23:13

  if chelsea win, boring final again

• zocoss

  3 May 09, 23:32

  Prepare for some cards (yellow & red) to be coming out of the referee's pocket for this match... I think a few of the players are on two yellow already... Like Ballack, Anelka, Alex and Lampard... Another card and they will miss the final even if Chelsea gets through...

• zocoss

  3 May 09, 23:56

  Are Chelsea brave heroes or cynical spoilers?

  

  Frank Praverman

  "Rather well neutralised" was how Guus Hiddink phrased Lionel Messi's display thanks to Jose Bosingwa's performance as a makeshift left-back.

  "Only one team was trying to play attacking football" was Pep Guardiola's take on proceedings after complaining that his Barcelona side had committed seven fouls while Chelsea had given away 20. "It’s never easy to play well when the opposition is not playing football."

   

  Matt Dickinson claims Chelsea did nothing wrong. "We came expecting a display of football’s arts and we got one - in smothering tactics," he said, adding, "it is what Chelsea did throughout the entire 90 minutes; not cynically, whatever the howls of the Nou Camp crowd may have told you, but obdurately and in a way that only a team as experienced and physically strong as Chelsea could."

  Tony Cascarino agreed. "It was Chelsea's turn to park the bus in front of goal," he explained. "You can't blame them, given the hidings that Lyons and Bayern Munich suffered at the Nou Camp this season."

  So was this a tactical masterclass by Hiddink, the interim manager at Stamford Bridge? Should his side be applauded for snuffing out the threat of Messi, Henry and Eto'o? Do they deserve praise for silencing the furnace of the Nou Camp?

  Or were Chelsea cynical hackers, determined to keep a clean sheet through fair means or foul? Should the referee, Wolfgang Stark, have offered Barcelona more protection to play the beautiful game for which they are known? Would you rather see Chelsea attempt to match their counterparts in skill or is it win at all costs at this stage of the Champions League?

  Have your say now.

• omgukilledkenny

  4 May 09, 00:25

  Bosingwa did a fantastic job of shackling Messi at the Camp Nou.

  Will Hiddink reinstate A.Cole back to the LB spot?

   

• zocoss

  4 May 09, 12:26

  

  Messi warns: You're nex 

   

  LEO MESSI warned Chelsea “you are next” after Barcelona’s 6-2 demolition of Real Madrid. 

  Messi scored twice as the Catalan giants humiliated bitter La Liga rivals Real in their own Bernabeu backyard.

  Chelsea battled for a 0-0 draw in last week’s first leg. But Messi insists Barca will come out with all guns blazing for Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final return.

  The Argie superstar said: “We will play in the same way against Chelsea as we did against Real and, playing like that, we will have many chances. If we do things as we did on Saturday then we will score and go through.

  “This was a massive boost. We’re going to London with great spirit and desire to fight and with a lot of belief that we’ll go through. “We’ve come out of this with a renewed confidence and strength.” 

  Barca’s president Joan Laporta had a dig at Chelsea’s stonewall tactics in the first leg, insisting his team will win with their “beautiful football” at the Bridge. 

  Laporta said: “It will be difficult against Chelsea because they are a great team. But we like to play beautiful football and I am sure that our players can make it a beautiful victory.

  “Our victory in Madrid makes us believe in ourselves even more. This team can show our soul again. “It will be a great match but Pep Guardiola is managing the team in an exceptional way and I think Barca’s players will be heroes on Wednesday.”

   

• iceFatboy

  4 May 09, 15:38

  haha, he is dreaming, RM gave him space, Chelsea will give him 'the" boots..

• limpper

  4 May 09, 16:22

  messi is good with surprises

• youyayu

  4 May 09, 16:24

  john terry will say BOOT U MESSI! UR NEXT TOO!!

• Scania N113CRB l0v3r

  4 May 09, 16:30

  Ltr Terry say
  
  Messi u so action, say goodbye to ur leg  we will play rough

• jgho83

  4 May 09, 16:35

  Messi actually compare Real Madrid to Chelsea?

• limpper

  4 May 09, 16:37

  im backing barce to win =)

• zocoss

  4 May 09, 16:51

  For me, I will back Chelsea to win if United win on Tue... But if Arsenal win, then I back Barce lor... lol

   

• youyayu

  4 May 09, 16:53

  Originally posted by jgho83:

  Messi actually compare Real Madrid to Chelsea?

  

• youyayu

  4 May 09, 16:54

  Originally posted by zocoss:

  For me, I will back Chelsea to win if United win on Tue... But if Arsenal win, then I back Barce lor... lol

   

   revenge is sweet right?

• limpper

  4 May 09, 18:51

  if all english final again, damn boring leh

• omgukilledkenny

  4 May 09, 21:01

  Henry out of Barca's Bridge battle

  

  Barcelona striker Thierry Henry will miss Wednesday's Champions League clash at Chelsea after being ruled out for at least two weeks.

  The French striker produced a stunning performance against Real Madrid at the weekend and was relishing the prospect of facing the Blues in the semi-final second leg at Stamford Bridge.

  But the knock to his knee that he picked up in the second half in the Bernabeu has turned out to be more serious than first thought and he will now miss some key matches for the Blaugrana.

  Henry will not only have to sit out the game against Chelsea, but he will also miss the league encounter with Villarreal next weekend, when Barca could be crowned as champions, as well as the Copa del Rey final next week with Atletico Madrid.