Barcelona Coach; Pep Guardiola has so much to worry about this time as his exceptionally gifted team Barcelona failed in their bid to reach the final of the Champions league last night against Chelsea when they lost by aggregate 3-2 to Chelsea.
Guardiola told a post-match news conference he did not know what else Barca could have done but their elimination from Europe’s elite club competition highlighted the fact that when their flowing passing game fails they have little scope to adjust their tactics.
With only defenders Carles Puyol or Gerard Pique able to challenge the imposing Chelsea players in the air, pumping balls into the box was not much of an option, especially after the latter went off with concussion midway through the first half.
This has come as no surprise for some pundits going by the unimpressive performance displayed the Spanish club in their last three games as it has not be up to the standard bar of display the club has set for itself.
Guardiola was left musing on whether luck was simply against the club this season following a spectacular run of success that has yielded 13 trophies since he took over in 2008.
The was not able to pinpoint what why the team lost to Chelsea last night which would have passed as his third champions league finals in four years and sadly enough Barcelona who fell to the sword of Chelsea are the holders of the title and would also have passed as the first club to win back-to-back European titles since Ac Milan in the year 1990.
Barcelona could not defend themselves at Stamford Bridge during the first leg of the champions league game against Chelsea as they fell by a lone goal despite their high percentage of possession and array of chances created which could not be converted to goals.
In the El-Classico, Barcelona fell against their Spanish arch-rival Real Madrid in a game that ended 2-1 last week also after their unlucky performance against Chelsea.
Last night at Nou Camp in a game where Barcelona was touted to carry the day as it is in the tradition of the Barcelona to turn tables around, dramatically Barcelona never knew what hit them as they were not able to pin down Chelsea even after getting a 2-0 lead and making Chelsea play with one man down after Chelsea Captain John Terry was red-carded and will be missing the final coming up May 19th, Terry was sent off 8 minutes before the halftime whistle was blown.
Barcelona forward man Lionel Messi who serves as the eye and wonder man for the Spanish club couldn’t add to the tally of his 63 goal season after he was availed a penalty spot kick and he whistled it against the bar just after coming back from the first half break, he also missed a screaming chance which flowed off the post.
Chelsea at this point believed in themselves and within the team on filed encouraged their fighting spirit despite playing with a man down went for the killer strikes as they came from 2-0 to make it a final 2-2 draw with a Fernando Torres breakaway and a quick dribble of goalkeeper victor Valdes to seal the equalizer minutes to the end of the second half.
With Barcelona’s dismal performance this season Barca coach admitted that this season is not Barca’s and their focus now will be on the King’s cup as Real Madrid are inching close to lifting the La Liga title and the coach’s future with the Barcelona is right now shady as he would be speaking club president Sandro Rosell days to come.
