Barcelona Blunted by Chelsea as Football Cultures Clash in Champions League Semi

Barcelona will find a way. Or so we thought, until Chelsea delivered a blood-and-guts tour de force to restrain the most potent attack in football, claiming the advantage in their Champions League semifinal.

Didier Drogba's goal earned the Blues the most unlikely of 1-0 wins in the first leg—defying every stat known to man, but appeasing the only one that really mattered to the Premier League side.

Chelsea had four shots to Barca's 24. They conceded 79 percent of possession to the Blaugrana. On any other night, they might have been sacked, 3-0, and their fans would have gone home happy to avoid humiliation.

But football is more subtle than stats. Chelsea were never going to out-beautify Barcelona, and their manager, Roberto Di Matteo, prepared accordingly. He sent out a team set on containment and frustration, and they executed his every wish with dogged determination.

As expected, Drogba was cast as Chelsea's combative lone forager in attack—a role he performed so well you could almost forgive the amount of time he spent writhing on the ground impersonating agony.

Ramires provided occasional support, but mostly added his sprightliness to the massed ranks of Frank Lampard, Raul Meireles, John Obi Mikel and Juan Mata in midfield. To say they worked hard would make light of hard work.

They were tireless.

Behind them stood a defense so committed you felt they would have taken a bullet for Di Matteo, with a goalkeeper in Petr Cech, who may as well have been dressed in a cloak, holding a staff and proclaiming, "Thou shalt not pass."

Barca hit the bar—they missed countless chances from close range, they had 10 shots blocked, and Cech produced a moment of brilliance to deny Carles Puyol's late, glancing header.

The pressure they faced was relentless, but Chelsea—their resolve unwavering as sheets of rain fell in southwest London—held firm. And having scored with their one effort on target on the stroke of halftime, the Blues clung on for a result few would have predicted.

Said Barca coach Pep Guardiola to reporters after the game:

"

Congratulations to Chelsea. We had more possession but that doesn't mean anything; that doesn't win games. They out-jumped us tonight and were physically stronger.

We played well, created 24 chances and still lost—what can you do? We need to create 24 more chances at home in the hope that some go in. We need to find more ways of creating danger.

"

Meanwhile, his counterpart, Di Matteo, was left to bask in the latest triumph of his short (but increasingly inspired) tenure at Stamford Bridge.

Since Di Matteo took over, Chelsea have won 10 matches, drawn two and lost just once. They've reached the FA Cup Final, reinvigorated hopes of finishing in the Premier League's Top 4 and now find themselves with the halfway advantage in a Champions League semifinal against the reigning champions of Europe.

If Di Matteo was looking for the perfect time to negotiate a permanent deal at the club, Thursday is as good as any to drop in on Roman Abramovich. Here's what he said after the game on Wednesday night:

"

It was almost perfect. Against Barcelona you have to do a lot of defending and be clinical when you get your chances.

They are going to have a lot of possession. My players have shown the determination they have, with the courage to play against the top team in the world—they showed good quality.

"

That they did, because to blunt Barca is a feat only rarely achieved these days. AC Milan managed it in the quarterfinals, of course, but a 0-0 draw proved short change to carry into the return at Camp Nou.

Chelsea fans will be fearing the same is true, even with a 1-0 lead. Barca can occasionally lose their way on the road, but Guardiola's men are seldom short of inspired before the Catalan hoards fortunate enough to watch them do their worst on a regular basis.

Lionel Messi's goal count in La Liga is testament to that fact. He's scored seven on the road, compared to 28 at Camp Nou. As a team, Barcelona have scored exactly double the amount of goals at home (64) as they have away (32) in La Liga.

To stop Barca at Camp Nou will require Chelsea to be even more committed—and perhaps even more fortunate—than they were at Stamford Bridge.

But Saturday's looming El Clasico meeting between Barcelona and Real Madrid could yet work in their favor. With the Spanish title race so close, Guardiola is unlikely to rest his star players, leaving them open to injuries.

Moreover, if Madrid were to win at Camp Nou on Saturday, the pressure on Barca next Tuesday would intensify.

More often than not, this Barca team has found a way. But if you need convincing that they can be bested, look back to Inter Milan's semifinal win in 2010, which saw Jose Mourinho's spoilers hold out for a 1-0 defeat at Camp Nou to reach the final.

That wouldn't be enough to win the tie for Chelsea, but it could force extra time and penalties.

Would Chelsea have taken a penalty shootout conclusion when they were drawn with Barca in the last four? I'm guessing they would.

But after what they achieved at Stamford Bridge, Di Matteo's team will believe it's possible to win the tie outright in Spain.

It's over to Barca now, and Barca have a point to prove.