Chelsea 1 Barcelona 0: For a contest that offered no decisive advantage in the Champions League, victory was remarkably sweet for Chelsea. Their win was delivered by Didier Drogba, but there was as much satisfaction for his team-mates in seeing their system restrict Barcelona to very few chances as Hilario kept a clean sheet.
There were late flurries from visitors who probably did realise that there is a cost to this defeat. Five points behind Chelsea, the holders are in second place in Group A purely on goal difference and know that Werder Bremen have at least a hope of eliminating them from the Champions League. For a while, though, it had not looked as if the stakes were high.
After all the red cards, allegations and insinuations of the previous meeting, this match shocked at first only because of a measured and reasonable opening. An innocent onlooker could almost have believed that a normal game of football was in progress. Chelsea had slightly the better of it before the interval, spurning vendettas and aiming to show they are not inferior to the European champions.
The drive and increasing influence of Michael Essien towards the right of midfield was one new facet in a season where he has become more poised. He and the rest of the Chelsea side were composed enough before half-time to limit the visitors' scrutiny of Hilario. The Portuguese goalkeeper, making his debut following the weekend head injuries to Petr Cech and Carlo Cudicini, was only briefly the object of concern and sympathy.
The crowd even cheered when the 30-year-old made his presence known by picking up a loose ball in the third minute. While encouragement was intended, the fans also gave the impression they were relieved. Barcelona had a more rigorous workout in mind, but if Frank Rijkaard had ordered his players to test the goalkeeper immediately they could not do that.
By comparison with matches in the knockout phase between these clubs there was almost a mellowness until Drogba broke the deadlock. After about half-an-hour Barcelona's smooth passing started to be imposed with regularity, but Chelsea had been more urgent. In the third minute there had been the unlikely sight of John Terry pounding down the left in a run that eventually led to an overhit cross.
The most effective Chelsea move of that period saw Essien put Drogba through on the right after 17 minutes and when his angled shot was half-blocked Rafael Marquez had to be alert to concede a corner as Andriy Shevchenko sought to capitalise on the loose ball. The benefits for Jose Mourinho's side at that stage were mostly symbolic. Giovanni van Bronckhorst, for instance, received Barcelona's first caution of this season's Champions League when he obstructed Essien in the 45th minute.
Barcelona slowly found their normal smoothness and while the gritty Khalid Boulahrouz had a degree of success in forcing Ronaldinho back, Mourinho cannot have been quite so happy with the other flank of his defence, where Lionel Messi and others demonstrated that they could elude Ashley Cole.
It was a shot from there that involved Hilario fully in the 30th minute. Xavi was set up by Deco and although his finish looked to be running wide Hilario made sure by turning it behind. If Chelsea had cares that were not purely concerned with the technique of Rijkaard's players it may have lain with the shortage of ingenuity in their own ranks. When Messi had taken a Xavi pass on the right of the area in the 25th minute Hilario unnecessarily came to meet him and when the goalkeeper could only help the ball into the middle there needed to be a crucial clearance by Ricardo Carvalho.
Barcelona, however, had never been allowed the sort of mastery that can seem theirs by right. The Spanish champions do, after all, have their weaknesses and those who believe Carles Puyol is more of an enthusiast than a vigilant defender gathered further evidence in the 47th minute. He was slack in letting Drogba gather the ball that Cole had sent in from the left and turn away from him. The rest reflected solely on the striker's excellence. His superb shot had power and precision to overwhelm any goalkeeper.
Barcelona's reaction was no surprise since they needed to do no more than yield to their natural instincts by launching waves of attacks.
That might have suited Chelsea, insofar as it left space for their accomplished pragmatism. Essien, so otherwise influential, enraged Mourinho by holding possession when he could have put Shevchenko or Carvalho through on goal.
CHELSEA: Hilario, Boulahrouz, Ricardo Carvalho, Terry, Ashley Cole, Ballack, Lampard, Makelele, Essien, Shevchenko (Robben 76), Drogba (Kalou 90). Subs not used: Makaba-Makalamby, Joe Cole, Geremi, Bridge, Paulo Ferreira. Booked: Lampard.
BARCELONA: Valdes, Marquez, Puyol (Oleguer 74), Zambrotta, Van Bronckhorst (Iniesta 56), Messi, Deco, Xavi, Edmilson, Gudjohnsen (Giuly 60), Ronaldinho. Subs not used: Jorquera, Motta, Thuram, Saviola. Booked: Van Bronckhorst, Xavi, Deco.
Referee: Frank De Bleeckere (Belgium).
