Lampard stands tall among heroes

On a night for heroes, Frank Lampard stood tall.

For a player whose talents have been so often hidden to the eyes of many, despite a career laden with medals, goals, and international caps, the midfielder enjoyed a night in the Nou Camp that surpassed most others during his long career.

Lampard admitted it himself. “This is one of the finest nights I’ve had in a Chelsea shirt,” he said. He was being modest. Even the most studious follower of his career would struggle to remember a better one.

On this occasion there were no lung-busting runs in the opposition penalty area, capped by an unstoppable finish, although there will have been few games when the player exerted more energy. Instead, this was a game when the 33-year-old used every last minute of his experience to deliver a performance of assured control and authority.

And how his side needed it.

There was no shortage of Chelsea players who worked tirelessly and selflessy to produce a result that defied most odds being offered before and during the game. Goalkeeper Petr Cech defied suggestions his status as one of the world’s best goalkeeper’s no longer applies, while, in front of him, Ashley Cole, Branislav Ivanovic and Jose Bosingwa produced the displays that never dipped below excellent.

Further forward, Ramires again demonstrated the boundless energy that has made him one of Chelsea’s most successful recent signings. Even more impressive was the composure he demonstrated in chipping Victor Valdes to bring his side level after John Terry had been sent off and Barcelona taken an aggregate tie in the lead.

Moments after receiving the caution that will keep him out of the final, Ramires produced a finish that Lionel Messi so often manages to produce, but never against Chelsea.

The contrast with Terry then, could hardly have been greater.

For a player who is lauded as ‘Captain, Leader, Legend’ on a banner at Stamford Bridge, the centre back’s actions in getting himself sent off – and it was his fault entirely – were shocking.

To Terry’s credit, he accepted responsibility for the clash with Alexis Sanchez. “Looking at it on the replay it looks like a red card,” he said. “I’ve let the lads down. On a personal note I feel down but the club deserves to be in the Champions League final. And I hope the incident doesn’t take away from the performance.”

It won’t, but it will add another image to Terry’s personal gallery of Champions League pain.

The sight of Terry’s tears on a rain-sodden night in Moscow after missing a decisive penalty in the shootout with Manchester United in the 2008 final have come to symbolise Chelsea’s failings in the one competition to have eluded them in the Abramovich era.

Now he will miss their second final appearance in Munich and he has no one to blame but himself.

Quite what was going through Terry’s mind was anyone guess. The centre back is a self-confessed responsibility junkie.

But he abdicated those responsibilities when he allowed a petty spat to undermine his team’s common cause and he was saved further condemnation by the efforts of his colleagues. Even Fernando Torres, remarkably, finally came good in the dying minutes to clinch the passage to Munich.

This Chelsea side is still in a period of transition, but last night Lampard in particular showed the old guard are not yet ready to walk away quietly.