Former Chelsea manager and club legend Roberto Di Matteo believes his side defied all odds to beat Barcelona in the 2012 Champions League semi-finals.
Coming into the second leg with a one-goal lead, Chelsea still had plenty of work to do against a Barcelona side managed by Pep Guardiola and containing the likes of Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, Xavi, Alexis Sanchez, Sergio Busquets and plenty more world-class stars.
Their task became all the more difficult late in the first half when Sergio Busquets levelled the tie, John Terry received a red card for a petulant knee in the back of Sanchez and Iniesta then scored Barcelona’s second goal. The drama was far from over on what proved an iconic night for Chelsea in their history, though.
Chelsea legend Roberto Di Matteo recalls iconic Champions League win
Ramires scored a sumptuous chip on the stroke of half-time to put Chelsea back in control of the tie, with the away goals rule still in place at the time. Messi then missed a penalty in the 49th minute to ensure Chelsea stayed in the ascendancy, with the next 40 minutes of football a pure back-to-the-walls performance as the Blaugrana just kept coming.
Of course, it all culminated in the 92nd minute when Fernando Torres raced away, rounded Victor Valdes and forced Gary Neville’s famous commentary out of him. For Di Matteo, who was still only in temporary charge of the Blues after Andre Villas-Boas’ sacking earlier in the season, a higher power looked down on the Londoners that night.
“That was Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona with Lionel Messi, Xavi, Andres Iniesta and all of the others,” Di Matteo exclusively tells FourFourTwo. “In that era, it was basically impossible to play against them.
“We knew we would have to defend and just create an opening whenever we could. We’d won the home leg 1-0 and it was a question of trying to hang on at the Camp Nou. You can hardly explain what happened next.
“Barcelona scored either side of us losing Terry to a red card in the first half, and as a coach you’re thinking, ‘How are we going to do this?’ But then Ramires chipped one of the best goals in his career and that completely changed the atmosphere at the break, as we led again [on away goals].
“I told them, ‘This is going to be the hardest 45 minutes of your whole life. But, as things stand, we are through to the final. Hold on to that with everything inside you!’
“We rode our luck, Messi missing a penalty, but you need it. When Fernando killed the game off at the end, I knew that something divine had taken place. I was so proud.”
The miracles didn’t end there for Chelsea in their Champions League run, triumphing over Bayern Munich on penalties in the final after Didier Drogba had equalised in stoppage time of the game and Arjen Robben missed an extra-time penalty.
