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Chelsea v Barcelona: The previous meetings...

Did you know that Pepe Reina’s father once conceded an own goal to the London club? It’s all in here…

Fairs Cup semi-final, 1966

A BIT OF a saga, as Chelsea answered Barcelona’s 2-0 win in the first leg at Camp Nou with their own 2-0 victory at Stamford Bridge. A Bobby Tambling header was deflected into his own net by Barca’s Gallega, before the young Manuel Reina – Barca ‘keeper and father of Liverpool’s Pepe – pawed Peter Tambling’s speculative effort into his own net.

Nowadays you’d be looking at extra-time and penalties, but in 1966 the venue for a play-off was decided by coin toss. Chelsea travelled back to Spain and promptly lost 5-0 to the rejuvenated Catalans.


Champions League quarter-final, 2000

Chelsea first Champions League quarter-final started magnificently. In the first leg, the Blues won 3-1 at Stamford Bridge. The game included a sublime free-kick from Gianfranco Zola, but Luis Figo’s away goal proved pivotal as the Barcelona beast ripped into the Londoners in the second leg, but only after Tore Andre Flo’s curled effort had brought the game into extra time.

Celestine Babayaro, scorer of an own goal in the second half, hauled down Figo for a penalty. Rivaldo scored to make it 4-1 on the night, Patrick Kluivert made it 5-1, and Barcelona had won 6-4 on aggregate.

Interestingly, the team’s current managers Roberto di Matteo and Pep Guardiola faced each other in those ties.

Champions League last 16, 2005

Revenge was five years in coming, though it seemed that Barcelona would once again trump their English opponents by taking a 2-1 lead in the tie after the first leg at Camp Nou (Didier Drogba’s sending off doing nothing to aid Chelsea’s cause).

The second leg was something to behold at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea raced into a 3-0 lead before Ronaldinho took over, hauling his side level single-handedly and making it 3-3 on aggregate with two goals before half-time.

Jose Mourinho’s side were heading out of the competition with eight minutes remaining, until John Terry popped up to head home Damien Duff’s corner past Victor Valdes.

Champions League last 16, 2006

One year later, the teams met at the same stage of the competition. This time Barcelona came armed with an 18-year-old prodigy from Argentina, whose game would be ended by Asier del Horno. Del Horno was sent off but ten-man Chelsea took the lead through Thiago Motta’s own goal.

However, Barcelona rallied to win 2-1 on the night, with the second leg a drab affair that ended 1-1, Frank Lampard’s late penalty not enough to save his side.

Barcelona would go on to beat Arsenal and win the competition.


Champions League group stages, 2006

Henrique Hilario was Chelsea’s unlikely hero. He had stepped in for the injured Petr Cech to pull off a number of five saves, most notably from Messi and Deco, with Didier Drogba’s brilliant effort the difference between the teams in a 1-0 win for the Blues.

The return match in Spain had all the drama of a knockout affair.

Ten bookings, a magnificent goal from Frank Lampard, Eidur Gudjohnsen scoring against the club where he had made his name, Didier Drogba’s 90th minute equaliser in a 2-2 draw and a dancing Mourinho. Not the first time he would annoy the Catalonian side.

Champions League semi-final, 2009

The first leg ended in a goalless stalemate, the second was the match that still sees referee Tom Henning Ovrebo receiving hate mail from, we assume, Roman Abramovich.

Chelsea took a ninth-minute lead through Michael Essien, only for a number of valid penalty claims to be turned down by the official and Andres Iniesta’s late, late shot from distance to send Guus Hiddink’s side into despair and prevent them from exacting revenge on Manchester United in the final.

Read: The preview for tonight’s match >