morning papers barcelona away 0-0

The Times
Guus Hiddink's tactics frustrate Catalan giants
Barcelona 0 Chelsea 0
Oliver Kay, Football Correspondent
Hiddink's tactics frustrate Catalan giants

Amid all the eulogies to this Barcelona team of many talents, it was overlooked that they, like everyone else in Europe these days, struggle to find a way past the English. Throughout a compelling clash of cultures, skill against will, craft against graft, Chelsea never strayed from Guus Hiddink's battle plan and, after riding their luck at times, they are now 90 minutes away from a second consecutive Champions League final against Barclays Premier League opposition.
It is unlikely to be as straightforward as all that, since a goalless draw away from home is not quite as positive a result as it can often seem in the knockout stages of the Champions League, but Hiddink is entitled to feel that Chelsea can finish the job at Stamford Bridge a week today.
They survived a series of onslaughts at the Nou Camp, with Petr Cech emerging among the heroes on a night when his stock rose once more, and John Terry and his team-mates will feel that they earned their luck through perspiration.
There were catcalls for Chelsea's players at the final whistle, much as there were for Manchester United here last season and Liverpool the year before. Barcelona's supporters and indeed their players will never comprehend how a team can come to the Nou Camp and be content to defend, but England's recent success in European competition has been based on such performances.
Barcelona will bitterly testify to that. This was the fifth consecutive match in which they have failed to overcome English opposition here in the Champions League and, for all the majesty of Lionel Messi's footwork and the passing of Xavi Hernández and Andrés Iniesta, they did not truly carve Chelsea open until Bojan Krkic and Alexander Hleb, the substitutes, missed clear chances in stoppage time.
Hiddink's blueprint involved trying to deny Barcelona the space they thrive on, but it is easier said than done. Even with John Obi Mikel and Michael Ballack stationed in deep central midfield positions, just in front of the back four, Chelsea frequently found Xavi and Iniesta playing neat triangles around them in the opening stages, with Messi and Thierry Henry seeing more of the ball than Hiddink would have liked.
Henry was certainly up for it, trying to whip the crowd into a frenzy, much as he used to in his Highbury pomp. For all the talk of Messi, it was Henry, along with Xavi and Iniesta, who carried the greatest threat in the early stages. The former Arsenal forward skated around the outside of Branislav Ivanovic twice in the opening half-hour, each time prompting the Chelsea defender to bring him to the ground. Alex was shown a yellow card for a crude block on Messi and the visiting defence was being stretched.
The half-time statistics showed that Barcelona had enjoyed 70 per cent of the possession, but they did not fashion a clear goalscoring opportunity. Samuel Eto'o flashed a header across goal from Messi's free kick in the second minute, with Cech nowhere, and Cech made a good save low down to his right to save Henry's shot in the 34th minute, after a typical link-up between Messi and Iniesta, but, if not quite comfortable, Terry and his colleagues reached the interval with their clean sheet intact.
Indeed the half-time scoreline could have been even better for Chelsea, with the best chance falling to Didier Drogba six minutes before the break. The forward had been chasing shadows to that point, but, when Rafael Márquez hit a weak and far too casual pass, he was on to it like a shot. Opportunity knocked, but Drogba's shot lacked the required power or accuracy to beat Víctor Valdés, the goalkeeper, who blocked the first effort and recovered to stop the forward putting away the rebound. Moments later Frank Lampard tackled Gerard Piqué and almost sent Drogba away again. It was as if light was appearing at the end of the tunnel.
The start of the second half also brought signs of encouragement. Daniel Alves, an extravagantly gifted full back who was targeted, unsuccessfully, by José Mourinho in the summer of 2007, personified Barcelona's frustration, carping at the referee and sneering at opponents when he was having trouble enough dealing with Florent Malouda. A foul by Alves on Malouda led to a free kick, whipped in by Drogba, from which Ballack sent a header just over the crossbar.
Messi was, if not quiet, then a little less menacing than might have been feared. José Bosingwa's decent shift as a makeshift left back, in Ashley Cole's absence, was enhancing the theory that a right-footer might in fact be better equipped to handle Messi, whose instinct is to drift inside rather than down the touchline. But Messi was still a threat. On the hour, he was picked out 20 yards out from a corner by Xavi. The ball was on his wrong side, but a rasping left-foot volley whistled just over the crossbar. Two minutes later, Alves burst past Michael Essien and hit another powerful shot that Cech, his nervous opening now forgotten, beat away.
Barcelona were turning the screw once more. Eto'o span around Alex and forced his way past Terry before his shot was saved by Cech. Something needed to be done and Hiddink made the bold decision to take off Lampard, sending on Juliano Belletti, the Barcelona old boy, so that Essien, hitherto marginalised on the right, could beef up the centre of midfield.
Then came the penalty shout, Henry falling under slight pressure from Bosingwa, and the misses from Bojan and Hleb in stoppage time. Chelsea had survived. Now they must finish the job.

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Telegraph:
John Terry is Chelsea's hero as Barcelona are kept out

For all the breath-taking beauty of Barcelona’s football, for all that Catalan pulses were set racing by Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi, Camp Nou was reminded on Tuesday night that football is about defending, as well as attacking and John Terry gave the locals a master-class. For the first time this season Barcelona had failed to score at home.

By Henry Winter at the Nou Camp

Terry was immense, a captain leading by example, the rock on which Barcelona’s celebrated attacking ambition foundered. He kept clearing danger in the air and on the ground and his example inspired all his team-mates. Alex impressed alongside him while Petr Cech made vital saves from Dani Alves and Alexander Hleb.
Chelsea would have loved an away goal, and will be aware that a mistake at the Bridge next week would leave them a mountain to climb. Yet such was Barcelona’s dominance of possession last night that Chelsea were entitled to a deep satisfaction for keeping Iniesta and Messi at bay.
Drogba finds sweet end to sour nightThe Catalans had not been short of confidence, their fans whistling derision at the visitors before kick-off while holding up a massive banner showing a map of Europe, their ports of call in this season’s Champions League and saluting "all the victories carry us to Rome".
Barcelona’s belief was rooted in the abilities of attackers like Thierry Henry, whose pace and control had embarrassed Branislav Ivanovic within 70 seconds of a chastening first half for Chelsea. Ivanovic simply could not live with the speed of the former Arsenal striker, and hauled him to the ground. Chelsea survived that scare but the warning was clear. Menace came in many forms here.
Barcelona’s technical class, their joie de vivre and quicksilver movement were all on parade. Andres Iniesta, outstanding in central midfield, glided around Michael Ballack and Alex in swift, elegant succession. Camp Nou almost gasped in disbelief when Lionel Messi miscontrolled the ball. He was human after all. Soon, though, the little Argentinian, prematurely compared to Diego Maradona but exuding the potential to reach such heights one day, began to live up to his billing.
Soon he was displaying remarkable acceleration to race away from Jose Bosingwa, who emulated Ivanovic, fighting flair with fire, introducing Messi to the floor. The ball seemed almost intoxicated with Messi’s company, almost beseeching to be placed permanently under the No 10’s cultured command. One pass from Messi to Dani Alves, squeezed through a thicket of thicket of yellow shirts, defied geometry, let alone belief.
Messi was mesmerising, joining Iniesta in running the show, delighting Barcelona fans and all who love the Beautiful Game. Here was an exhibition of how football should be played: with hunger, energy and sumptuous skill, taking on an opponent with a feint here, a flick there and no end of dribbles. Camp Nou was a canvas and Messi’s vivid brush-strokes were all over it.
His starting position on the left was merely a base camp for scaling the heights. Messi kept cutting inside, playing one-twos with Henry, then Samuel Eto’o, creating shooting opportunities, none taken.
The local prints had predicted a culture clash along the lines, make that headlines of "Beauty and the Beast’’. Chelsea had little compunction in using physics to combat the arts of Barcelona. Florent Malouda, usually as hard as Camembert, followed through on Victor Valdes. John Obi Mikel, starting ahead of Nicolas Anelka as Hiddink flooded midfield, clattered Xavi. Camp Nou was incensed, screaming for the experienced German referee, Wolfgang Stark, to clamp down on the visitors’ nihilistic streak.
Stark, commendably, was keen to play advantage, an approach that helped Barcelona, and started reaching for the yellow card only when the challenges increased in spite, particularly when Henry was targeted. First Alex poleaxed Henry, who was then caught nastily by Michael Ballack, another venomous incident for the Germany-France scrap-book.
While Stark reached for the book, Barcelona reached for the stars. Iniesta was putting on a glittering display, full of fine passing and surges through the middle. Iniesta has this neat way of rolling away from a marker, dragging the ball with him, so confident in his technique that he never fears losing possession. As the half wore on, as Barcelona dominated, Iniesta linked instinctively with Henry, whose shot was saved. Then Iniesta went himself, bringing a save from Cech.
Chelsea were in danger of being passed to death, their mettle and mobility tested by Barcelona’s pass masters. As the siege intensified, John Terry and Alex stood firm at the heart of Chelsea’s defence, heading away danger – but it soon returned.
Set up in 4-2-3-1 formation, Chelsea broke out only infrequently in the first half. Early on, Malouda and Michael Essien combined to set up Frank Lampard, whose shot curled wide. Seven minutes before the break, Drogba was gifted a magnificent opportunity. Rafael Marquez squared the ball across his box far too lazily, imparting insufficient power in the ball. Drogba scented blood, chasing down the ball, and sending it flying goalwards.
Sadly for Chelsea, Valdes was alive to the danger, rushing out and saving. Drogba was first to the loose ball, which he attempted to lift over the Barcelona keeper, who again impressed by clawing the ball away.
Chelsea supporters were finding their voice. They had failed to take up their full allocation, sending back 1600 tickets, but made themselves heard as the second half unfolded, particularly when Ballack headed a Drogba free-kick just wide.
Barcelona came calling again, re-examining Chelsea’s character. Dani Alves lacks exceptional defensive qualities but the Brazilian is formidable going forward, and unleashed a shot that Cech did well to see, let alone stop. For all the talk of Chelsea sweeping into town, attacking relentlessly, they had known the storm blowing towards them.
Hiddink’s centre-halves were outstanding. Terry slid in to nick the ball ahead of Xavi with Cech exposed. Then Alex leapt high to head clear an Eric Abidal cross. Alex was then outpaced by Eto’o, who would have scored but for a magnificent save from Cech.
The giant Czech Republic keeper has come in for criticism in recent times, but he was a towering figure here. With Barcelona sweeping forward in ever increasing waves, Hiddink made a defensive move, withdrawing Lampard, who had seen little of the ball, and sent on Juliano Belletti, who had scored for Barcelona in a Champions League final but was now charged with frustrating his erstwhile colleagues.
With Drogba increasingly isolated, barring occasional breaks from Malouda, Chelsea were living dangerously and Bosingwa was incredibly lucky that Stark did not spot his tug at Henry’s shirt, a ruse that knocked the French international off-balance. Worst offences have scarred elite fields this season but it was still a penalty. Chelsea had escaped.
Chelsea’s defending was awesome. Terry stooped in ahead of Messi to clear. Lady Luck then smiled on Chelsea, Bojan heading over when unmarked and Alexander Hleb denied by Cech and then firing wide. The Bridge promises to be tense.

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Mail:
Barcelona 0 Chelsea 0:
Guus's yellow brick wall - Pep's stars can’t find way past Hiddink

By Matt Lawton Chief Football Correspondent in Barcelona

So this was what Guus Hiddink had in mind when he visualised this Champions League encounter.A plan that was plucked from the darkest recesses of his tactical brain. A plan that betrayed the natural attacking instincts of a coach from Holland but a plan that, against this brilliant Barcelona side, worked impressively well.This, presumably, was what Hiddink meant when he said that reality can sometimes be cruel on the eve of this intriguing tie. It was cruel on those who came here anticipating a gran clasico of a contest and cruelon a team who, for all their efforts to demonstrate their considerable style and skill, ran into an impenetrable yellow brick wall.When Hiddink was asked just before kick-off how he planned to survive when no team had left the Nou Camp this season having stopped Barcelona from scoring, hisresponse was short and to the point. ‘By becoming the first.’
He might have declared an intention to fight fire with fire at his pre-match press conference and he might have insisted Chelsea knew only one way to play. But the deployment of a five-man midfield exposed a touch of mischief in those declarationsand proved that Lionel Messi and his colleagues can be stopped.Hiddink met Barcelona’s artistry with attrition, and attrition escaped with a goallessdraw that gives Chelsea a fighting chance of progressing to a second successive Champions League final. He even took off Frank Lampard last night, adding further steel to a midfield already including John Obi Mikel and the magnificent Michael Essien by sending on anotherdefender in Juliano Belletti.Reaching Rome on May 27 will not be easy. Not when Barcelona enjoyed so much of the ball and not when Petr Cech had to make the kind of saves that might just convince him that he remains among the finest goalkeepers in the world.And not when a more ambitious performance at Stamford Bridge next week may leave Chelsea vulnerable to an away goal.
Even in this match the Catalans proved how dangerous they can be given a bit of space.Hiddink will, however, be heartened not just by Manchester United’s result against them in last season’s semi-final but by the more recent history of the competition.United reached the final after following a goalless draw here with a 1-0 win at Old Trafford and, since 1999, 10 of the 14 teams who secured a goalless draw away from home in the knockout stages went on to win their tie.There were further sources of encouragement, not least the loss of Rafael Marquez to what looked like a nasty injury and Carles Puyol to suspension.Such setbacks leave Barca coach Pep Guardiola with something of a defensive crisis and a situation that Didier Drogba and his teammates could yet exploit.Drogba actually enjoyed the best chance in this first leg, seizing on an underhit backpass from Marquez but then failing to beat Victor Valdes not once but twice.Still, he went closer than Samuel Eto’o and Thierry Henry, who were both substituted by Guardiola as he went in desperate search of a goal.That said, Henry did appear to have a decent shout for a penalty in the second half when he was pulled down by Jose Bosingwa.In coping with Messi, Bosingwa nevertheless did well and so did the rest of the Chelsea defence in the absence of the suspended Ashley Cole and the injured Ricardo Carvalho. John Terry was a rock at centre half, while Alex was also outstanding.
With Barcelona enjoying more than 70 per cent possession, there were times when the pressure almost proved too much. Not least in the opening two minutes when a surging run from Henry forced Branislav Ivanovic to concede a foul deep in Chelsea’s half.Xavi swung in the free-kick, Cech flapped hopelessly and Eto’o sent a header bouncing dangerously across the face of the goal before Marquez saw his shotdeflected over the crossbar.The sight of Messi then failing to trap a simple ball must have eased the sense of anxiety in Chelsea’s ranks. As did a neatly executed move which ended with a shot that Lampard curled wide of Valdes’s left hand post.On that occasion Malouda did well to beat Dani Alves down the left flank before delivering the ball to the feet of Essien.For Messi the night was a little disappointing. He dazzled occasionally, not least when he combined with Alves down Barcelona’s right.One ball, in particular, that was delivered between Malouda and Bosingwa to the feet of a fast-advancing Alves was sublime. And he looked just as threatening when completing a rapidly-executed one-two with Eto’o with a blistering left-foot shot.After the break and still the home side dominated, Messi going close when meeting a corner from Xavi with an audacious left-foot volley.
When Alves then unleashed another thumping effort, Cech did well to parry, as he did when Eto’o muscled past Alex and had his shot deflected wide by the Czech goalkeeper’s left leg.He did it again when he denied Aleksandr Hleb the opportunity to step off the bench and score.Xavi and Andres Iniesta continued to create in midfield. Iniesta was wonderful at times.And when Alves sent in a teasing cross from the right in the final few minutes, Bojan Krkic probably should have scored what amounted to Barcelona’s best chance. As it was, he directed his close-range header over Cech’s bar.

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Indy:
Hiddink's special spirit is too much for Barça party
Chelsea 0 Barcelona 0
By Sam Wallace at the Nou Camp

Not the beautiful symphony of attacking football we expected, instead the jarring clang of Catalan invention on Guus Hiddink's implacable, unrelenting defence. No one spoils a party like Chelsea and last night at here they stopped European football's biggest carnival in its tracks.

Their performance was proof that Hiddink can play the Jose Mourinho way when the situation requires. Chelsea can stifle, defend and frustrate with the best of them and, come this morning, most of European football will hate them for the manner in which they stopped Lionel Messi and his men. But if you looked hard enough at this performance there was much to admire in Chelsea, chiefly the spirit of a team that refuses to lie down no matter who the opposition.
His weapon of choice is aggression, he provides 90 minutes of sheer irritation for the opposition but Didier Drogba is astonishingly effective. He led the line on his own, isolated from a Chelsea midfield that defended in their own half. John Terry and Alex were indefatigable and the star of the show was Petr Cech. Even Florent Malouda put in a shift that severely curtailed the attacking threat of Daniel Alves.
It will win Chelsea no friends, but it might just win them this Champions League semi-final when they meet Barcelona in the second leg a week today. As for Josep Guardiola's team, they were exhilarating to watch at times but they played far too much of their football in front of Chelsea rather than behind them. They have the Arsenal syndrome of over-elaboration and it cost them at times last night.
The other problem that looms for Barcelona is the booking for Carles Puyol that rules him out of the return leg, compounded by the injury to Rafael Marquez that looks certain to keep him out too. Without two of their centre-halves this will be a tall order for Barcelona in west London, where they will surely be tested in defence rather more than they were last night. In seven days' time Chelsea will have to demonstrate they can create as efficiently as they can destroy.
What happened to Messi? He flickered more than once in the first half, especially when he held off Drogba to play in Alves for a shot that Cech saved. Then gradually the Argentine was edged to the margins, his partnership with Alves broken up by Jose Bosingwa and Malouda and he drifted out of the game. Samuel Eto'o and Thierry Henry, the two other parts of that lavish attacking force, were both substituted. It was that kind of a night for Barcelona.
Only on three previous occasions this season have Barcelona failed to score and yet they so nearly did in five tense minutes of added time. The substitute Bojan headed over from four yards out when Alves crossed. Then Cech saved brilliantly when Alexander Hleb, another substitute, was played onside by the prostrate Michael Ballack. It was the last of four crucial saves made by the Chelsea goalkeeper.
Henry made some early inroads in the space behind Branislav Ivanovic at right-back but by the time he was substituted the Frenchman was exhibiting the familiar signs of frustration that were his trademark at Arsenal. He, like the largely ineffective Eto'o, found himself chased and harried in his every move. Hiddink's strategy was that Barcelona should never be permitted to express the rhythm of their football and that in turn enraged the Nou Camp.
The home crowd called out for more bookings for the men in yellow shirts, and wanted a penalty when Henry and Ivanovic clashed in the area on 74 minutes – a request that looked borderline at best. This stadium is not accustomed, in recent years, to not getting things their own way and they will have bleak memories of last night. Manchester United eliminated Barcelona in similar circumstances in last year's semi-final with a goalless draw in the Nou Camp.
Never has Terry cleared, Peter Kay-style, as far as he could upfield to no one in particular. Rarely have so many Premier League luminaries, like Frank Lampard and Ballack, been content to occupy secondary roles as tacklers and spoilers. When Hiddink claimed that he was minded to go for the throat of Barcelona on the flight to Spain he was evidently bluffing. That or he lost his nerve somewhere on the drive from the airport to the hotel.
He dropped Nicolas Anelka and brought in John Obi Mikel to play alongside Ballack in a holding midfield pair in front of the back four that made Chelsea's formation look more similar to that favoured by Rafael Benitez at Liverpool. In the first flurry of attacks that rolled towards Chelsea you had to wonder if the line of yellow Chelsea shirts – sometimes 11 behind the ball, never less than 10 – would hold. But gradually they wore down Barcelona's spirit.
Alex took a crafty booking to bring Messi down in mid-run in the first half. Alves at right-back became preoccupied with a row with Malouda that spilt over into an argument with Drogba. It all served to distract the home team from the job in hand. To top it all, Drogba almost scored with six minutes left of the half which would have been the ultimate indignity to a Barcelona team who had 70 per cent of the first-half possession.
The chance came from a terrible back pass from Marquez which allowed Drogba to run at goal through the left channel. He snapped in his shot low and Victor Valdes saved. Marquez was later carried off in the second half, his knee giving way with no one around him.
Eto'o slipped the ball through Terry's legs at one point and got away from Alex but his shot was saved by Cech. Hiddink substituted Lampard for Juliano Belletti and switched Michael Essien from the right wing to the centre of midfield for the last few minutes of the game. It was clever stuff designed to give fresh impetus to Chelsea's defensive action.
It can take a lot of effort to appreciate Chelsea: you have to be a connoisseur of grim defending and rigid tactical discipline. But you also have to respect a team that can come to a stadium as intimidating as this one and stick so unflinchingly to the plan. The first part of their mission is complete but next week they will have to show us there is also some beauty in the beast.
Barcelona (4-3-3): Valdes; Alves, Marquez (Puyol, 52), Pique, Abidal; Xavi, Touré, Iniesta; Messi, Eto'o (Bojan, 82), Henry (Hleb, 87). Substitutes not used: Jorquera (gk), Gudjohnsen, Keita, Sylvinho.
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Cech; Ivanovic, Terry, Alex, Bosingwa; Mikel, Ballack (Anelka, 90); Essien, Lampard (Belletti, 71), Malouda; Drogba. Substitutes not used: Hilario (gk), Di Santo, Kalou, Mancienne, Stoch.
Referee: W Stark (Germany).
Att: 95,000

Man for man marking

Barcelona
Victor Valdes
Believed to be suspect on crosses but given few to deal with. Good save from Drogba 7/10
Daniel Alves
Charged forward as usual, only to cross poorly until late on. Kept Malouda quiet 6
Gerard Pique
Former Man United man was mostly solid and produced fine pass to give Alves a chance 7
Rafael Marquez
Bad error let Drogba in for his double chance before twisting his knee 4
Eric Abidal
The France international offered some good support to Henry down the left 6
Yaya Toure
Kolo's younger brother was more than a holding man. Saw plenty of ball and used it well 6
Xavi
Always in the mix, playing little passes to Messi and Iniesta, with great success 6
Andres Iniesta
Under-rated midfielder kept his team ticking as ever and got some shots in. Much fouled 8
Lionel Messi
Frequent changes of position but in the end, threatened more than he produced 7
Samuel Eto'o
Man City fans will have loved one early turn and shot. Denied by Cech when through 7
Thierry Henry
Reborn after a difficult first season, he worried Ivanovic and could have had a penalty 7
Substitutes
Carles Puyol 6; Bojan Krkic: Missed Barça's best chance late on; Alex Hleb.
Chelsea
Petr Cech
Missed his first cross, dropped second, but recovered to make important saves 7/10
Branislav Ivanovic
A difficult night against Henry for the hero of Anfield, who barely held his own 6
Alex
Booked early on for a foul on Messi and had to tread carefully thereafter 7
John Terry
Lost Eto'o once but took no other chances. Went up for set pieces without success 7
Jose Bosingwa
Did reasonably. Unsure sometimes whether to go with Messi when he nipped inside 6
John Obi Mikel
Unexpected selection, too often found Barça's midfield technicians playing past him 5
Michael Ballack
Played behind Essien with little attack scope. Booked and could have been sent off 5
Michael Essien
Few opportunities to forage forward until moved centrally after Lampard went off 6
Frank Lampard
Forced too deep by the home team's surfeit of possession, so couldn't make or take chances 5
Florent Malouda
Drawn into a feud with Alves which did nothing to help him maintain improvement 5
Didier Drogba
Had too little support. Thwarted by Valdes when presented with a good chance 6
Substitutes
Juliano Belletti (70): On to help Ivanovic n/a
Nicolas Anelka (90): Came on too late to make impact n/a
Steve Tongue
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Guardian:
Cech holds the line for Chelsea to blunt Barça's blades
Barcelona 0 Chelsea 0
Kevin McCarra at the Camp Nou

The resilience of Chelsea was formidable and it has protected their hopes of a return to the Champions League final. A minor yet telling honour was collected here since they are the first visitors to keep a clean sheet at the Camp Nou this season. Chelsea survived one vigorous penalty appeal and saw the substitute Bojan Krkic head over in stoppage time. After that, Petr Cech still had to block at the feet of another ­substitute, Alexander Hleb.
The Chelsea goalkeeper was critical to the tie and the night would have had a wholly different character had he not thwarted Samuel Eto'o after 70 minutes. This was, all the same, a highly practical exercise by the visitors, with no compunction shown by the manager, Guus Hiddink, in taking off Frank Lampard when the need was for fresh energy.
The value of the result remains, ­however, a matter of guesswork. No one, for instance, will have too much difficulty envisaging a goal for Pep Guardiola's side at Stamford Bridge next Wednesday. ­Containing Chelsea could be a ­different matter. The Barcelona centre-half Rafael Márquez suffered a freak left knee injury and had to be replaced by Carles Puyol. Introducing him exposed the clubcaptain to the risk of suspension and he duly collected the yellow card that rules him out of the return leg.
Chelsea understand all the perils they will still face after being unable to notch an away goal, but the scope barely existed to mount the counter-attacks at the Camp Nou that Hiddink had envisaged. While Víctor Valdés did pull off an outstanding double save from Didier Drogba, it would be absurd to pretend that the Premier League club had ever taken the fight to Barcelona.
That, in itself, will be a cause of ­discomfort to Guardiola. In this campaign he must have come to believe that no opponents could secure a draw here ­simply by stifling Barcelona. Now the team has learned that its verve is not irresistible after all. Even in the absence of the suspended Ashley Cole, Chelsea stopped Lionel Messi from doing ­terminal harm. Jose Bosingwa, an emergency ­left-back, had enough helpers to erect a barrier, even if it was fragile at times.
For the most part, they mustered the numbers to stop Messi from making inroads. There is no cause for suggesting that Hiddink had come up with a gleaming masterplan. He did what he could, but it is not feasible to stop Barcelona from ­making games here an ordeal.
Chelsea were under stress almost from the kick-off and it was their well-known durability that narrowly kept them in the match during the first half. Hiddink had implied that his side must take the fight to these opponents. Chelsea's scheme was visible in the formation the manager had devised but not in the execution.
Michael Essien, Lampard and Florent Malouda were a bank of attacking ­midfielders who were supposed to assist the lone forward Drogba. In reality, they were compelled to back-pedal until they stood shoulder to shoulder with Michael Ballack and Mikel John Obi. That still had some benefit in creating a throng in ­midfield to prevent the opposition ­achieving fluidity.
Before the interval the best opening was, against all odds, Chelsea's. ­Márquez underhit a back-pass and released Drogba. The first attempt by the Ivorian was blocked by Valdés and the goalkeeper then threw up a hand to parry as the attacker attempted to convert the rebound. A goal for the visitors would have mocked the logic of this game.
Thierry Henry, as if invigorated by a whiff of old Premier League rivalries from his Arsenal days, was full of vigour. A foul on him in the second minute ­provided Barcelona with one of their best ­opportunities. Xavi took it from the left and Eto'o, stationed beyond the far post headed it back in the middle, where ­Márquez was close to converting.
Room remains for debate about how good Barcelona truly are. A year ago, before the appointment of Guardiola, it was possible to keep Barcelona in check and Manchester United, scoring at Old Trafford, went through to the final on a 1–0 aggregate. Chelsea have earned the right to envisage themselves repeating that exercise.
Even before Márquez had to be ­withdrawn, there was at least a ­suggestion that the tempo set by Barcelona was ­dipping a little. The visitors were far from serene, but their opponents did show signs of vexation. Even by Messi's ­standards, for instance, it was optimistic to attempt a ­volley from distance after a corner dropped to him. The ball flew high.
Yet Barcelona's menace was not wholly ­stifled. Eto'o beat John Terry to run free from halfway in the 70th minute and after he had evaded a recovery challenge by Alex, it was the boot of Cech that kept his finish out of the net. Barcelona then had strong claims for a penalty rejected as Bosingwa grabbed at Henry.
Chelsea, undistracted, made their ­tortuous way to the clean sheet that had been their principal ambition.
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Sun:
Barcelona 0 Chelsea 0
From SHAUN CUSTIS at the Nou Camp

So gus Hiddink was having us all on, the wily old fox.
The Dutchman said Chelsea would fight fire with fire, that they would take the game to free-flowing Barca.
We were promised thrills and skills and a feast of attacking football.
Instead, Chelsea dug the trenches, put their bodies on the line and, with goalkeeper Petr Cech back to his best, they frustrated the life out of their illustrious opponents.
Barcelona’s ‘Holy Trinity’ of Lionel Messi, Thierry Henry and Samuel Eto’o, who had rattled in 90 goals between them since September, suddenly forgot where the net was.
It was the first time all season that Barca had failed to score at the Nou Camp and the Blues deserve enormous credit for getting back to London with a 0-0 draw.
It was a tall order for the Blues given their defence has not looked the most solid in recent weeks — conceding four against Liverpool in the quarter-final second leg at Stamford Bridge before scrambling home 7-5 on aggregate.
But you still would not like to bet which one of these two will make the Champions League final.
A goalless draw in the first leg is one of those scores which often leaves the home side vulnerable in the return, knowing they cannot afford to concede an away goal.
And, as Barca have so many attacking options, Chelsea will find it tough keeping them out again.
They can take heart, though, from the fact Manchester United drew 0-0 here in last year’s semi-final and went through.
Chelsea sailed pretty close to the wind at the end, however.
As the game went into stoppage time, Dani Alves swung over a cross from the right and teenage substitute Bojan headed over from a couple of yards. It was an absolute sitter.
Ex-Arsenal midfielder Alex Hleb could still have given his team the advantage after that as he broke down the left but Cech came out well to block his shot and Hleb then blasted the rebound into the side-netting.
Chelsea had only one clear-cut opportunity all night and Didier Drogba will feel he should have taken it, having seized on a woeful Rafael Marquez backpass late in the first half.
His first effort was saved by the diving Victor Valdes and, when the rebound fell at the Ivorian’s feet again, he tried to chip the ball over the keeper — only for Valdes to get both hands to it to thwart the danger.
Chelsea also had a chance with a flick header by Michael Ballack which went just over the bar.
It became obvious from the moment Hiddink handed in the teamsheet that he had conned us about his approach to the game.
He employed two holding midfielders in Ballack and John Obi Mikel and had the defensively-minded Michael Essien on the right of the three supporting Drogba.
The effect was to stifle the creativity of star man Messi.
The Argentinian never got a grip on the game and full marks to Jose Bosingwa, who had to fill in as an emergency left-back because of the suspension of Ashley Cole.
Maybe if Bosingwa had been booked when he took out Messi early on, it might have been a different story because he could not have afforded another lunge. But the Portuguese escaped and went on to do a commendable job.
Messi could not find space down the flank and, when he cut inside, he just ran into a wall of Chelsea players.
Henry meanwhile struggled to create any room on the left and was restricted to shots from outside the box which Cech saved well.
The Frenchman was, however, pretty miffed at not getting a 74th-minute penalty as he turned in the box and had his shirt tugged by Bosingwa.
It was one of those which defenders get away with most of the time but, just occasionally, a ref spots it. Fortunately for the visitors, German official Wolfgang Stark did not.
Striker supreme Eto’o was also well snuffed out by skipper John Terry and his Brazilian partner Alex.
Cameroon international Eto’o did get past Terry once in the second half when he nutmegged him just inside the halfway line and also evaded the challenge of Alex — but Cech again got down well to save with his legs.
At times it was all very untidy — and Barca players spent a lot of time rolling around on the ground claiming various forms of assault. Alves had a running battle with Drogba but Chelsea did no more than apply a little bit of muscle in all areas of the park, which did not allow those with the twinkle toes to work their magic.
The irony was that it was actually Barca who were punished most when sub Carles Puyol, on for the injured Marquez, fouled Ballack. The shaggy-haired defender was shown a yellow card and is now out of the second leg.
In the event they only had themselves to blame for failing to take those late chances which might just have opened the door to a second successive final for Chelsea.

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Star:
HIDDINK HEROES HOLD ON
Barcelona 0-0 Chelsea

DIDIER Drogba was inches away from becoming a record-breaker last night. Guus Hiddink had warned Barcelona about the threat of the Chelsea striker.
The Ivory Coast hitman would have scored as well if it had not been for a brilliant double save by Victor Valdes.
The chance was completely against the run of play – but it was the closest the two sides came to a goal in the first half of this Champions League semi-final.
In the 39th minute he chased down what looked like a lost cause until Rafael Marquez under-hit his backpass to Valdes.
Drogba pounced on the loose ball only to shoot straight at Valdes. As it bounced up, and with Drogba trying to nudge it goalwards, the Barca keeper swiped it away from the Chelsea striker at the vital moment to complete an impressive double save.
You would have put your house on Drogba scoring given that he had equalled the record against Liverpool of getting goals in five consecutive Champions League games.
Hiddink’s message to his team was to be bold and brave in the Nou Camp. He wanted Chelsea to show the courage to attack and over-power their illustrious opponents.
The Dutchman knew only too well that his team would need to go toe to toe with a Barca side which in Spain is being compared to Johan Cruyff’s Dream Team of the early 1990s when they won four titles and their first European Cup.
Current manager Pep Guardiola was part of that team, so it is no surprise that he has created such an attacking force. Barca have been unstoppable this season.
Thierry Henry, Lionel Messi and Samuel Eto’o have scored more goals than the whole of the Chelsea team together.
They have scored 90 times between them this season in all competitions, which is more than any other side in Europe’s grand total.
They have found the net in every one of their previous 50 games with 136 in total this year. In the Champions League alone they have scored 29, which is a staggering 10 more than Chelsea have managed.
And in the previous two European ties at the Nou Camp they have scored nine, putting four past Bayern Munich in the quarter-final during 43 blistering first-half minutes, and five past Lyon in the last 16.
Yet they couldn’t score against Chelsea last night. But then again Chelsea are no mugs. This was their fifth semi-final in the last six years.
They also have the drive and hunger to try and make up for the pain of last season when they lost the final on penalties to Manchester United.
Chelsea’s temporary manager Hiddink has already guaranteed a great end to his spell in charge with his side reaching the FA Cup Final, but this is the one they want most.
He is known for his tactical nous, so it was no surprise that he made a shock selection by playing Michael Essien wide right.
In a 4-2-3-1 system, he obviously felt the midfield man would give more protection to the side than Salomon Kalou or Nicolas Anelka.
Jose Bosingwa also faced a huge challenge playing out of position at left-back due to Ashley Cole’s suspension, with the job of trying to control Messi.
The little Argentine has recently been described as being like Luis Figo and Rivaldo mixed together because he provides the goals and the assists.
The first half was all about Barcelona trying to squeeze the life out of Hiddink’s side. Chelsea were on the back foot and, at times, disorientated by Barca’s intricate football.
But they held their nerve for the first 45 minutes, with great resolve in defence. Apart from Drogba’s shot, and a curled effort by Frank Lampard, Hiddink’s tactics were not working with Essien almost a passenger.
Eto’o, Messi and Andres Iniesta all created shooting chances only to miss the target at the vital moment as Petr Cech’s goal came under pressure. Iniesta and Henry again shot wide as more and more chances fell to Barca.
The former Arsenal striker then saw Cech pull off a great save from 12 yards as the Frenchman thought he had scored.
Chelsea at times were left chasing shadows with first Alex getting booked for fouling Messi, and then Michael Ballack for a lunge on Henry.
But Guardiola’s side, so used to blowing teams away, were becoming frustrated and Yaya Toure – brother of Arsenal’s Kolo – got himself booked for dissent as the Spanish side thought Chelsea were kicking them off the park.
At the start of the second half Chelsea had another great chance from a free-kick which was floated in by Drogba, only for Ballack to head over the bar from the penalty spot.
Rafael Marquez was then carried off after his knee locked up and was replaced by Carles Puyol.
Barca’s rhythm had been interrupted, but Messi was soon causing problems only for the 21-year-old to volley over the bar.
Cech was again in action in the 61st minute when he had to make a save from Dani Alves.
Chelsea had an escape in the 74th minute when Bosingwa pulled back Henry by his shirt in the area but ref Wolfgang Stark amazingly waved play on. And in stoppage time Cech made a great save from Alexander Hleb.