Late penalty not enough as Barca frustrate Blues

Barcelona 1 Chelsea 1 (agg: 3-2)

A brilliant individual goal from Ronaldinho helped send a stifled Chelsea side crashing out of the Champions League tonight.

The Brazilian struck in the 78th minute to send the Spanish League leaders into the quarter-finals.

Frank Lampard equalised courtesy of a dubious penalty in stoppage time but by then the tie was already over for the Barclays Premiership champions.

The final whistle went seconds later, giving Barcelona the revenge they have craved for a year, and sending 90,000 fans wild in the Nou Camp.

Mourinho had been greeted with shrieking whistles and jeers as he stepped onto the immaculate turf, 40 minutes before kick-off.

Barcelona, still bitter about losing 5-4 on aggregate to Chelsea last year, maintain they play purer football than the Stamford Bridge club and it is hard to argue when Ronaldinho and Lionel Messi are in full flow.

The Brazilian lit up the first half with flicks and feints but did not manage to turn them into anything substantial.

Messi, policed by William Gallas, looked threatening again until he limped off in the 24th minute.

The teenager collided accidentally with Arjen Robben as they chased a loose ball and was immediately replaced by former Celtic hero Henrik Larsson.

It was a relief for Gallas, back in the team after injury as a replacement for Asier del Horno, who was suspended after his controversial red card in the first leg.

Mourinho and his players were given a hostile welcome into the famous arena despite Frank Rijkaard’s plea for home fans to applaud the Premiership champions’ manager.

Robben started up front with Didier Drogba as Mourinho abandoned his favourite formation in a bid to reverse the 2-1 deficit from the first leg.

Four thousand Chelsea fans, stuck in the top tier of the Nou Camp, were drowned out by the whistling Catalans.

Messi’s injury did not stop Barcelona taking control of the first half in terms of possession and territorial advantage.

John Terry stood firm at the centre of defence for Chelsea but some of team-mates were creaking.

Lampard, barely fit after a hamstring strain, failed to make much impression in midfield, although the Blues were still able to force a couple of clear chances.

Victor Valdes saved from Drogba and Robben but Joe Cole came closest to snatching the lead, two minutes before half-time.

Lampard nodded a free-kick from Paolo Ferreira into the goalmouth. Cole lifted it over Valdes but it dropped onto the top of the net.

Mourinho made his next tactical move in the 58th minute when he sent on Eidur Gudjohnsen and Hernan Crespo for Damien Duff and Drogba.

Crespo could have put the Blues ahead on the night within five minutes of coming on when he missed the sort of chance he normally finishes in his sleep.

Cole jinked past his man on the right and curled a cross behind the Barca back line. Crespo timed his run well to meet the ball at the near post but side-footed it wide.

It was the start of Chelsea’s late thrust. They knew they had to score twice to reach the quarter-finals and they tried to lift their tempo.

The talismanic Carles Puyol was soon booked for a foul on Gudjohnsen and will miss the next game through suspension.

Ronaldinho then struck the knockout punch 12 minutes from time. He took the ball from Samuel Eto’o, 35 yards out and took off towards goal.

The Brazilian rode a challenge from Terry and fired a shot low past Petr Cech from just inside the box. It gave his team a 3-1 aggregate lead and sent the Nou Camp into rapture.

Mourinho’s last desperate throw of the dice came in the form of defender Robert Huth who was sent on in attack, in place of Cole, but there was no Liverpool-esque comeback here.

Eto’o almost extended the lead for Barcelona when he hit the post.

Chelsea were fortunate to be awarded a penalty in stoppage time when Giovanni Van Bronckhorst tackled Terry and seemed to win the ball cleanly.

Lampard made no mistake from the spot but it was too late to salvage the tie and the Blues went out on aggregate.

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho did not accept the best team won, however.

When asked on ITV1 whether he thought the best team had progressed, Mourinho said: “I don’t think so.

“We have played against them four matches in two seasons. [When it was] 11 against 11 they never beat us. That is the reality.

“We had a very difficult job to do, because we were losing 2-1. Knockout is about two ties. In the first, we lost in strange circumstances.

“If we had had a little bit of luck; if we had scored before the last minute we would have had a big chance – but we only scored in the last minute.”

Barcelona’s former Celtic striker Henrik Larsson disagreed.

“I think the best team won,” he said. “We played a good side tonight – but over the two legs I think we deserved to win this game.”

“We tried to play our normal game. But we knew Chelsea would attack and we had to be aware we didn’t allow too much space behind us, because they are very quick on the counter-attack.

“It is very important to be going through to the next round, and we are very happy with that.”