You can't keep Lionel Messi down and other things learned as Chelsea draw 1-1 with Barcelona

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  • Chelsea produced a stand out performance against Barcelona but will feel a bit aggrieved by the 1-1 final score at Stamford Bridge.

    The away side may have started the better of the two teams in the round of 16 Champions League tie and largely dominated possession but it was Antonio Conte’s men who grew into the game and had the better chances.

    Willian was unlucky to strike the post twice in the first half but was finally rewarded for his efforts when he found the back of the net in the 62nd minute from Eden Hazard’s pass on the edge of the box.

    Barcelona were gifted a route back into the tie though as Andreas Christensen’s loose pass across his own penalty area was intercepted by Andres Iniesta who cut it back for Lionel Messi to score his first goal against Chelsea on his ninth attempt.

    Here’s a look at three things we learned from the encounter.

    CONTE SHOWS HIS TACTICAL NOUS

    Antonio Conte raised a few eyebrows with his team selection at Stamford Bridge. Deploying Eden Hazard as a false nine, historically hasn’t delivered great results for the Italian, the most recent example being the 4-1 defeat away to Watford, when he scored only after Olivier Giroud was introduced.

    Cesc Fabregas alongside N’Golo Kante in a 3-4-3 also seemed like a risk. However, the Italian reminded us of his tactical acumen with how it all played out. The front three of Hazard, Pedro and Willian worked hard and did well to stop Barcelona playing out from the back.

    The Spaniard didn’t make much of a contribution on the ball but closed down the away side’s defenders well and shuttled wide to keep tabs on Jordi Alba while Willian did the same job on the opposite flank. The Brazilian’s interchange with Hazard was particularly impressive. The Belgian drifted wide on occasion with Willian popping up centrally and getting dangerous shots away.

    Antonio Conte got it right but... Messi

    Antonio Conte got it right but… Messi

    WILLIAN DESERVES STARRING ROLE

    Willian joined Chelsea in the summer of 2013 and his career at the club since has had its ups and downs. Over the course of his spell in west London though, he’s grown and matured as a player and at 29, is primed for a leading role.

    For whatever reason, he hasn’t always been one of the first names on the team sheet for Conte but against Barcelona, he showed again what an impact he can have. His sharp-shooting was on show against Hull City over the weekend when he bagged a brace with two excellent strikes.

    He found the target from outside the box magnificently against Barcelona to break the deadlock and was unlucky not to have scored more as he struck the upright twice with efforts from range in the first half. The Brazilian stepped up to the occasion and was influential in the final third for his side. His presence takes so much pressure off Eden Hazard. Surely, he should be a mainstay in this Chelsea side.

    Willian

    Willian

    YOU CAN’T KEEP MESSI DOWN

    Coming into this fixture there were only 12 teams in his career that Messi faced and hadn’t scored against. That’s now down to 11. The Argentine remarkably hadn’t scored in eight meetings with the Blues and much was made of that fact ahead of the encounter.

    Messi not only scored against the Premier League outfit this time, but grabbed the vital equaliser to deny Chelsea a famous win and take a crucial away goal back to Spain. In truth, he didn’t have a great game as per his impossibly high standards.

    He made just one dribble over the course of the game, when on average he usually completes about 5.5 a game. While his playmaking ability has been among the best in Europe over the last couple of years at least, he managed just one key pass against Chelsea.

    But that’s what makes his goal all the more impressive. Great players can endure a tough time but they can’t be kept down. When the moment came, Messi sparked into life and produced a clinical finishing, burying his only shot of the game.

    Lionel Messi (L)

    Lionel Messi (L)

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