It’s only half-time

“CHELSEA are almost out of the Champions’ League,” said the man on the television news late on Wednesday night, making it sound like their imminent exit from the competition is a mere technicality, a matter of formal ratification in the Nou Camp.

John Giles put it even more baldly, suggesting the English champions “haven’t a prayer in the second leg”, though following a mild interjection from Liam Brady, the great man allowed that there was, of course, a chance that they could yet turn it around.

Certainly, Barcelona are now hot favourites to progress, but you don’t need the threat of avian flu to know that counting chickens is fraught with peril. A certain game last year should have thought us that lesson.