The Warm-Up: Lionel Messi ends his Blue hoodoo to set Chelsea a Camp Nou challenge
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Updated 21/02/2018 at 09:40 GMT
Adam Hurrey witnesses Lionel Messi finally emulate the great Junior Stanislas and score at Stamford Bridge...
Messi e Iniesta celebran el gol del Barça ante el Chelsea
Image credit: Getty Images
WEDNESDAY’S BIG STORIES
Chelsea come within a whisker of acing their Barcelona test
I think that, for sure, we have to play a perfect game against Barcelona tomorrow if we want to win.
99% wouldn’t be enough, Antonio Conte insisted before last night’s match. As it turned out, one errant pass from Andreas Christensen was all it took for Chelsea’s gameplan to come undone.
In between the 10-minute bursts of Chelsea endeavour – during which Willian, more on whom later, hit both posts and then scored the opener – Barcelona did what they usually do: dominate possession (73%) and try to pass Chelsea into submission (886 to 325).
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Lionel Messi entre Cesar Azpilicueta et Cesc Fabregas
Image credit: Getty Images
Their equaliser came, and – considering how furiously concentrated Conte’s defence had been for the previous 75 minutes – it was something of a gift for the visitors. Lionel Messi, no longer faced with the last-ditch blocks of Ricardo Carvalho, the sprawling torso of John Terry and the arse of Branislav Ivanovic, was finally able to break his curious, 12-year duck against Chelsea.
730 minutes, 30 shots and the impossible penalty-area coolness of Andres Iniesta was all it eventually took for Messi to celebrate a goal against one of his few nemeses.
The archives footage will roll again ahead of the second leg at the Nou Camp, suggesting that Chelsea are well in with a shout, but the collective reaction to the final whistle heavily implied that their opportunity had come and gone.
A shorts story
Huge news ahead of the first domestic silverware-awarding of the season: Arsenal will be allowed to wear white shorts against Manchester City in the League Cup final on Sunday.
After “due consideration” – which sounds like someone looked on Twitter and saw a few red-faced traditionalists wondering what the world has come to – the EFL have agreed to make life hell for the linesmen and allow both the Gunners and City to wear their first-choice shorts.
Arsenal were initially scheduled to wear red shorts, but it is the shared view of the EFL and the clubs that both teams should be able to wear their recognised first team colours in such an occasion as a major domestic cup final so long as it doesn’t cause problems for the match officials.
This DRAMATIC U-TURN eliminates an OMEN for Arsenal, who have never (in TWO attempts, 39 years apart) won in an all-red kit.
And they say that the Carabao Cup doesn’t matter.
HEROES AND ZEROS
Hero: Willian
Much of the pre-match focus, understandably, was on Eden Hazard, Chelsea’s only proven world-class, peak-of-his-powers operator and hopeful heir to the Ballon d’Or throne of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. But then…
Willian, as he so often does, stepped up for Chelsea. Two crisp shots pinged off either Barcelona post in the first half, set up by the Brazilian’s customary sideways jinks to open a yard of space. Hazard is rightly identified as Chelsea’s primary threat, but he has a seasoned support act by his side too.
Zeros: Birmingham City
£10m paid out on three Brentford players…only to find themselves 10 places and 20 points behind by mid-February, having lost both meetings by an aggregate score of 0-7.
That, in just one nutshell, is Birmingham City.
HAT TIP
FULHAM vs NOTTS COUNTY / 24th September 1985 / Milk Cup Rd.2 Leg 1 / Back before milk was discovered in the nipples of coconuts and almonds, the National Dairy Council were the sponsors of the first few 'League Cups' — But despite it's tasty name, had no hollowed out inside so you could eat your coco pops 🥛 A crowd of 2,324 fans took home this illustrated masterpiece by Rick Smith, which captures the immaculate gardens of local residents, hoards of eager fans queuing at turnstiles and 12 Fulham heros running out to start their post match warm up ⚽️ • • • #fulhamfc #nottscounty #1985 #milkcup #leaguecup #efl #editorial #matchdayprogramme #1shilling #print #graphicdesign #soccer #footballprogramme #thebeautifulgame #memorabilla #milk A post shared by OneShilling (1/-) (@1_shilling) on Jan 30, 2018 at 9:53am PST
It’s all Chelsea this, Barcelona that in today’s column inches, so today’s high recommendation comes via Instagram. One Shilling is building up a lovely collection of old football programmes, from a time when their designers really went to town.
Have a browse on the bus to work.
IN THE CHANNELS
Let’s just quickly nip back to Monday night to enjoy Wigan’s quadruple-aborting FA Cup giantkilling of Manchester City…via Moscow.
RETRO CORNER
On this day in 2001, that pre-meltdown Leeds side run riot against Anderlecht in the long-forgotten “second group stage”, which just sounds like a pain in the backside for all concerned.
COMING UP
A bumper evening of the hipster’s choice, the Europa League, where Arsenal will be going through the second-leg motions against Ostersund. At least it’ll be warmer this time.
Tomorrow’s edition will be brought to you by Jack Lang, who will be suffering from a European hangover
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