Chelsea v Barca/United v Arse

[Fez of Mahrez]

Sky's post match rage was priceless television. Don't really think you can say either side was a clearly deserving victor over 2 legs, Barca were better in the Nou Camp, Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Loved the fact that Iniesta scored the winner, one of the most likeable players in football in my opinion. No idea how Barca will organise defensively for the final...probably have to choose a back 4 from Puyol, Pique, Sylvinho, Caceres and Yaya Toure.....

Will be very interesting to see what Pep does.

He's played Puyol at left-back an awful lot this season due to Abidal's long-term injury even when Sylvinho has been fit and seems to opt for anyone above Caceres.

Still, with no other real options at right-back I think it's probably going to be:

Sylvinho - Yaya Toure - Pique - Puyol

Got to say, I thought Yaya Toure was absolutely tremendous tonight, particularly second half, in the way he stood up to Drogba and Anelka in an unfamiliar position. I thought Barca missed him from the midfield though, Keita and Busquets are just not in the same class. Back to a full strength front five for the final though hopefully.

[Joe.]

It's going to be a horribly mis-matched defence for the final, and on that basis I think United will win it.

[Bert]

No-one is taking away the fact that it was a truly great finish from Iniesta. Just that Essiens was even better!

[Sparky]

Yaya Toure is one hell of a player

[DJ Barry Hammond]

Will be very interesting to see what Pep does.

He's played Puyol at left-back an awful lot this season due to Abidal's long-term injury even when Sylvinho has been fit and seems to opt for anyone above Caceres.

Still, with no other real options at right-back I think it's probably going to be:

Sylvinho - Yaya Toure - Pique - Puyol

Got to say, I thought Yaya Toure was absolutely tremendous tonight, particularly second half, in the way he stood up to Drogba and Anelka in an unfamiliar position. I thought Barca missed him from the midfield though, Keita and Busquets are just not in the same class. Back to a full strength front five for the final though hopefully.

If Barca keep the ball like they did tonight maybe they won't need to defend anyway! Attack will be the best form of defence for them no doubt.

[Maybes]

Yaya Toure is one hell of a player/beefcake

I love Iniesta. He is sexworthy

[The Reverend]

Football is not all about amazing passing football. Different teams play in different ways, to the way that suits their game plan best.

If there's a method to try and stop something, then it's going to be try and used. It's like saying Swine Flu shouldn't be cured that way, because it's not the prettiest.

There's an art to defending, as well as attacking and it takes a great tactical genius to stop a great team like Barcelona only having one shot on target all night, not once did they break Chelsea down. Barcelona were getting frustrated and they had no answer to the way Chelsea played over both legs. Barcelona played the better football, but did they deserve to win? No way.

Chelsea were denied two clear cut penalties, and had a half decent shout for another, maybe two. They tested the keeper more and if they'd have gone through, bar the sending-off, Barca could've had few complaints. I'm sure if the roles were reversed any Barca fan/player would feel the same way. Just look at the way the Barca players celebrated, they knew they were lucky to come out of the game with a result.

The final will be more entertaining with Barca than it would've been Chelsea, but boy were they lucky.

Edit: Ballack is a twat and was way over the top with his protests, but that was probably the least shout for a penalty all night. You'd be annoyed at not getting a penalty from tonight if you were Chelsea though.

Nailed it Berty.

Spot on.

[Koke]

[DJ Barry Hammond]

Nice work!

[Ultra]

It's going to be a horribly mis-matched defence for the final, and on that basis I think United will win it.

This.

Rooney and Ronaldo will tear them to shreds.

[WardyisPukka]

Barca's makeshift defence wont cope with the likes of rooney , ronaldo etc , Barca have got to score first to win , am i right in saying no team has ever successfully defended the champions league title?? if so i dont want it to be man utd frankly

[Ultra]

It would be a jizzfest for the glory hunters if they do.

But the absence of several Barca defenders may well decide the outcome of the final.

[Darkzzz_]

Barca can score against United but Rooney and Ronaldo will be the problem for sure against a poor defence. But I'm glad Chelsea aren't there.... Iniesta....

[Miquel The Work Geordie]

I honestly don't care who wins the final. I've got no preference.

All I want is a good game, with lots of goals, and attractive football. Too often Champs League finals are snoozefests.

[Darkzzz_]

True that

[Koke]

True that

Stop lying you cunt. You blatantly want Barca to win

[FilboFox]

Just thought I'd add my bit to this... I am absolutely ECSTATIC that Chelsea lost in the final minute... made my week. I can't stand them and am very VERY pleased that Barcelona will be playing Man Utd in the final.

On the match, I didn't think that the ref had as bad a game as many are making out... perhaps there were some penalty shouts that could have been given but to be quite frank, the amount of cheating that Chelsea players were doing up front, justice was done in the end. Drogba is a disgrace to football... his performance on the pitch was pathetic... every time someone touched him he was on the ground rolling around like some great tw*t and then at the end swearing like that... it was just unnecessary. Ballack virtually attacked the ref during the game when one penalty shout wasn't given and Terry at the end was right up in his face shouting at him... awful.

I also didn't like the way Chelsea just set out to defend in both matches... yes Barcelona didn't create many chances at Stamford Bridge but I'd rather both teams try to win the game and play properly... not have 9 or 10 players behind the ball all the time, parking the bus in front of the goal like Chelsea did.

Overall, I think the better team won... I know many many MANY of you will disagree with me but I think that on the balance of play and just for the way that Chelsea played and conducted themselves, Barcelona deserved to go through for their sheer determination and way that despite how things looked like they might have been going wrong, they stuck to it and it paid off.

[Finnegan]

This.

Rooney and Ronaldo will tear them to shreds.

It'll be different, though. A far more open game will play right into the hands of Messi, Henry, Eto'o, Bojan (if he plays), Xavi, Iniesta and co'.

Both teams are good going forward but you have to believe Barca have the edge in that department. Yanited are massve at the back though and you'd expect that to play a part.

Over all I have to say I haven't been this excited about a Champs League final for a long time. I really, really struggle to appreciate Yanited but there's no denying that these are by far the two greatest teams on Earth at the moment.

[Darkzzz_]

Stop lying you cunt. You blatantly want Barca to win

Now now... Language...

[Uncle Albert]

Load of bollocks!

Jamie Redknapp said it all that the Ref should never of been given charge of the match, like a game in Norway would be that intense.

Messi yet again proved he is a bottler in the big games.

COME ON UNITED!

[Darkzzz_]

You wouldn't be out of place in a puppet show. Maybe Sky could offer you something.

You mention Messi again, you obviously know what he can do because every message is about him. Messi didn't play brilliant I agree, but he did skin Ashley Cole every time and created chances but when has Ronaldo in the big games? Against Arsenal (which wasn't hard) he was superb but in almost all of the other big games, he has bottled it. It happens to all big players. But I am sure you witnessed how the brilliant Iniesta played?

I read on your status on facebook the other day how much you hate Man Utd and now your cheering them on. Says it all doesn't it?

I don't care the fact that some of you hate Barcelona and most European clubs I just can't wait to see Leicester up against one of the big four, some of you won't know which shirt to wear.

[Jonezy]

Load of bollocks!

Jamie Redknapp said it all that the Ref should never of been given charge of the match, like a game in Norway would be that intense.

Messi yet again proved he is a bottler in the big games.

COME ON UNITED!

This is just an argument I don't understand. The ref on tuesday was Italy's finest, and he got some key decisions wrong as well. Last week it was a Danish ref in the Man Utd - Arsenal game, and he did an okey job even though most games in Denmark are not that intense....

[Thracian]

It would be a jizzfest for the glory hunters if they do.

But the absence of several Barca defenders may well decide the outcome of the final.

Let's not be making excuses before we start. United are serious competition for any team in the world and any group of defenders. And, unlike Chelsea, they will counter attack with pace and in numbers.

It makes for a fascinating contest.

[Corky]

Stan Collymore has turned into a quality football show host.

Can someone tell me who Barca are missing for the final? I've forgot in all the excitement

I flitted between that and 606 last night. The amount of Chelsea fans claiming conspiracy theories was laughable.

How many refs, who want one team to win a game, send off a player from that team?

The ref had a poor game, that was all.

[C-man]

Firstly, I hate the away goals rule, but what can you do?

I wanted Chelsea to win, and I thought they deserved to. They have to be a good team to let Barcelona have almost 70% possession over 180 minutes and limit them to creating only one or two clear cut chances (Eto'o last week, I wouldn't say the goal was a 'clear cut chance'). Okay, Barca play very nice football, but the game is all about different styles of play, that's why it's so good.

Feel for John Terry and Lampard, who have been through 5/6 years of getting to the semi's or further then bottling it, they're running out of time.

Personally, I thought the scenes at the end were a disgrace. Starting with Ballack and ending with Drogba. If I saw a Leicester side do that I would be incredibly embarrased (but still fuming).

At the end of the day, Drogba can moan all he wants to the ref or to SkySports after the game, if he had taken HIS fucking chances (at least two good ones), it wouldn't have mattered that the ref missed Pique's handball or couldn't see where the line was in Dani Alves' case.