Barcelona vs. Chelsea: Blues' Comeback Shows Barca Has Trouble Finishing

Even before Chelsea's spectacular 2-2 draw with Barcelona on Tuesday, it was clear Barca had shown a vulnerability they hadn't shown in past seasons.

Essentially, clubs had found a way to contain Barca's fluid offense by pressuring Lionel Messi in the middle of the pitch and disrupting their rhythm. And as Chelsea showed, both on Tuesday and on April 18, all it took was being opportunistic to stun Messi and Co.

It must be said that Barca apparently had the game in hand before Fernando Torres scored in the 90th minute.

But it also must be said that Messi had a chance to extend Barca's lead in the 49th minute with a penalty kick and he hit the crossbar, exemplifying Barca's struggles lately finishing at goal and finishing games.

Before Barcelona's 2-1 loss against Real Madrid on Saturday, they had conceded a two-goal lead against Los Blancos on Jan. 25 in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals. It marked Real getting comfortable with Barca, which few teams have been able to do through the years.

Barca is still a top team; this loss won't change that. But it does mark a somewhat surprising shift for Messi and his teammates, who no longer seem invincible.

Interestingly enough, a revealing quote came out of the Chelsea camp before their match on Tuesday, via BBC:

"

"Many teams who play Barcelona think you have to steal the ball from them, but I don't think that's possible.

"You have to use different weapons against them. If you want to steal the ball, you won't manage it and you'll get tired, and then create more space for your opponent."

"

That quote came from Torres himself. 

By crowding Barca and taking away some of their space, teams are finding it's easier to beat them that way. You hold down on defense and then take advantage of the opportunities you are given on offense.

Barca once again held dominant possession on Tuesday, holding the ball for 83 percent of the match. But, like against Real, it didn't matter, because teams have accepted the fact that Barca will normally win the battle of possession and have adjusted accordingly.

With the combination of Barca's declining efficiency and the competition's change in strategy, all of a sudden Barca looks like a different team.

Follow me on Twitter. We can talk about soccer together.