“Seedorf Cites Power vs Panache” | Jeffrey Marcus | Goal blog | 5 May 2009

“Normally, when I look at the Arsenal, sometimes they score five, sometimes four,” Seedorf said. “But their game is too much about possession than about going to score goals.”

“Every time Manchester go up front, they do it to score goals.”

How true.

It’s true, given how mercilessly Barça disassembled Bayern Munich in the CL quarterfinal and then how clinically they dispatched Sevilla in La Liga last week. Pep Guardiola’s Barça are playing in that special place called The Zone.

What we see from Barça is a sublime creativity in the final third supported by such efficiency on the ball from Xavi & Iniesta that they hardly look like they are working … except perhaps when Thierry Henry repeatedly falls over.

Barça’s efficiency is worth special comment. They trap close, like they’ve magnets in their Adidas, and already in position to do something positive. First-touch is sublime. I believe the team has learned this in training from Iniesta; he’s raised the bar and this unique body-balance on the ball has caught on around the squad. Moreover, Guardiola has them exploding into purposeful action at the rare times they lose the ball.

What Barça did to Bayern & Sevilla in equal measure was to demoralize them so completely in this endeavor that in the odd times Barça’s opponents got the ball they were consumed by utter hopelessness; their individual & collective energy seemed to leave them. I think Chelsea will be fine until they recognize their bind: the only way to stop Barça is to foul them and Chelsea cannot then escape their own artlessness in the final third. This is what’s causing Guus the most worry.

Previous meetings between Chelsea & Barça were typically 1-2, 1-1, 0-1. I think these legs will be much the same with Barça doing just what is necessary to win. Chelsea will stack their strong back-Four along the 18 yard line and be largely effective keeping Barça from getting behind them. (Chelsea will sit the sieve-like Ashley Cole, who is suspended; Bosingwa will play instead at Left Back. Even though Jose’ Bosingwa is right-footed, Messi is a lefty playing on the right side — they match up as well as Chelsea could ever hope.)

Chelsea will foul a lot. So Barça’s goals, consequently, will come from set-pieces and distance … of which they are supremely capable. When Chelsea learn their lesson and stop fouling, the goals will come from artwork inside the box.

Chelsea 2 – 5 Football Club Barçelona (agg).

As Roma look forward to face an alltogether different English club prospect, Let us look back on the day when, inside their own stadium, the came within a penalty shootout of being crowned kings of Europe against a Liverpool side, who had been dominent.

The stage was set for one of the great European Cup matches – The final was to be held in the Olympic Stadium – Not only the site of a previous Liverpool glory but Roma’s own ground, and Roma had, inspired by World Cup winner Bruno Conti, fought thier way to the final. This was familiar territory for the dominating Liverpool side of the 1980s, and having won the Milk (now Carling) Cup, and the Division One (Now Premier League) title, they were the biggest team in England. It looked to be a fasinating encounter.

To get to the final, Roma had beaten Goteborg convincingly, Eased past CSKA Sofia, and battled past Dynamo Berlin and Dundee United.
Liverpool meanwhile, had hammered Odense, stuttered past Bilbao, stuffed Benfica, and stuttered past Dynamo Bucarest.

Roma started off brightly, but a mistake in goal, and a piece of defending gone wrong led to a scrappy opener for Liverpool, Phil Neal tapping in from six yards. Both goalkeepers would be earning thier keep in the match, casual defending by the Roma defense would force Tancredi to make up for his earlier error, and the clown prince himself, Bruce Grobbleaar had the game of his life in the Liverpool goal.

However, a magic cross from Bruno Conti (on the second attempt) met with a looping Pruzzo header got Roma level. Both sides had chances as the game progressed, but it went on to the lottery of a penalty shootout.

Liverpool, won the toss and took first, young Nicol putting it over the crossbar. Advantage Roma. Di Bartolomei duely capatilised. Phil Neal repeated his penalty at the other end of the stadium years earlier and banged one in for Liverpool. Bruno Conti, who had been outstanding during the match, to the shock of the watching world, missed his penalty, and it was all level again. The next two pens were scored, before Rush put Liverpool ahead.

Graziani stepped up for Roma. Grobbelaar, who looked incredibly relaxed all the way through the shootout, shook his legs on the goaline (repeated by Dudek, years later) reminding Graziani how tired he was. Graziani duely hit the crossbar with his penalty, and Liverpool only had to score thier last penalty to win it. They did.

Its a shame, because on balance, Roma may well have been the better side on the night. In a shootout though, anything can happen, and it took a moment of goalkeeping madness to seperate the sides.

Next season, the Champions League final will be back in Rome. Maybe, who knows, Roma can go one better then?