SOCCER UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMI-FINAL, FIRST LEGS:BARCELONAS PLAYERS rounded on what they deemed a negative and cynical Chelsea side following the teams' 0-0 draw on Tuesday night. Barcelona failed to score at home for the first time this season against a Chelsea side which defended in numbers and committed almost three times as many fouls as the Catalans.

Chelsea often had nine men behind the ball, with just Didier Drogba up front. And the Londoners’ lack of ambition failed to impress Barcelona. Defender Gerard Pique believes only his side played any football over the 90 minutes. “Barcelona were the only team who wanted to play, and yet the reward is for Chelsea, even though it seems like they came for a draw,” he said. “At least we know we’re superior because we showed that on the pitch,” he said.

Xavi, meanwhile, accused Chelsea of anti-fair play. “There were some actions which were clear yellow cards and not even a foul was given, and then (Yaya) Toure was booked for protesting.”

Toure, who was booked for protesting a refereeing decision, believes German official Wolfgang Stark should have punished Chelsea players for their persistent fouls. “It was worse than deplorable – it looked as if he had come to help Chelsea,” he said.

Barca and Chelsea ended up with two yellow cards apiece, but Toure says Guus Hiddink’s men should have had more. “Players like (Michael) Ballack and (John Obi) Mikel made so many fouls, it’s unbelievable to think they weren’t booked,” he said.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta also believes Chelsea were happy to play for a draw. “They defended a lot and very well, although it looked as if that is exactly what they came to do: defend,” he said.

Striker Samuel Eto’o believes Chelsea will be obliged to play a more open and positive game when the two sides meet in London on May 6th.

“We will try to score there in order to relax, but they won’t be able to play like they did today, with nearly all of their players waiting in their own half,” he said.