Andrey Santos<\/a> and Barcelona’s Marc Casado, Frenkie de Jong, Fermin Lopez and Lamine Yamal are all one yellow card away from a one-game Champions League suspension.<\/p>\nChelsea vs Barcelona – The history<\/p>\n
The Londoners reached the last four of our second-ever European campaign, the 1965\/66 Fairs Cup, and entertained Barcelona in a semi-final at the Bridge on 11 May 1966.<\/p>\n
The first leg fixture in London had been delayed by torrential rain, although Tommy Docherty liked to claim he arranged the pitch to be flooded by the local fire brigade\u00a0\u2013\u00a0he was without key players and fancied the decisive leg at home.<\/p>\n
The postponed match became Charlie Cooke\u2019s debut, and he did not disappoint. Inspired by the Scottish winger, waves of Chelsea pressure eventually told, helped by the dismissal of visiting defender Silvestre Eladio for kicking John Hollins just before the break.<\/p>\n
Goalkeeper Miguel Reina, father of future Liverpool keeper Pepe, scored one of two own goals that wiped the Blues\u2019 first-leg deficit, forcing a play-off in Spain that Roque Olsen\u2019s team won 5-0.<\/p>\n
The long-awaited rematch, played 34 years later, was the first leg of a Champions League quarter-final. On a night of irresistible attacking in a throbbing atmosphere, Gianluca Vialli\u2019s special team \u2013 Marcel Desailly, Roberto Di Matteo, Gianfranco Zola et al \u2013 tore into Louis van Gaal\u2019s tournament favourites. <\/p>\n
The Blues hit three thrilling goals without reply in just nine first-half minutes, but when Luis Figo netted for 3-1, it felt like a lifeline and the Catalans would turn things round in the second leg.<\/p>\n
An equally pulsating Round of 16 second leg match on 8 March 2005 featured a Ronaldinho double \u2013 one perhaps the best by any opponent at the Bridge \u2013 but also superb goals from Eidur Gudjohnsen, Frank Lampard and Damien Duff. Top billing, though, has to go to John Terry\u2019s dramatic header to make it 4-2 on the night and 5-4 on aggregate.<\/p>\n
That was the opening chapter in a dramatic trilogy of clashes with Frank Rijkaard\u2019s team. In February 2006, at the same stage, Asier Del Horno\u2019s early red card paved the way for a 2-1 loss at Stamford Bridge. In October the same year, an incredible Didier Drogba strike earned a 1-0 group stage victory.<\/p>\n
The first of Pep Guardiola\u2019s two visits to the Bridge as the Catalans\u2019 coach \u2013 he never graced the pitch as a player\u00a0\u2013 came on 6 May 2009, the second leg of the semi-final. <\/p>\n
The Blues had drawn 0-0 in Spain and were on course for an instant return to the competition’s final – after the 2008 loss to Manchester United – after Michael Essien\u2019s stunning volley made it 1-0, only for Andres Iniesta\u2019s last-minute heartbreaker to send the Catalans through on away goals.<\/p>\n
Naturally, the Blues encountered Barcelona on the way to our first Champions League triumph in 2012. During the first instalment of this gripping semi-final tie at the Bridge on 18 April 2012, Ramires raced down the left and squared for Drogba, who gratefully drilled into the net for the only goal of the game. The Londoners secured a famous 2-2 draw at the Nou Camp to reach the final.<\/p>\n
The Blaugrana\u2019s most recent visit, the first leg of the round of 16 in February 2018, ended 1-1. Willian scored with a wonderful curling strike, but Lionel Messi netted his first goal against the Blues, after drawing a blank in his previous eight games against us.<\/p>\n
Know this…<\/p>\n
No Champions League team has been awarded more penalty kicks than Chelsea\u2019s two this season.<\/p>\n
The Londoners have recorded a passing accuracy of 90 per cent, the third-highest in the competition this season. <\/p>\n
Half of last season\u2019s Champions League quarter-finalists finished outside the top eight in the league phase standings, including eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain.<\/p>\n
When Chelsea beat Real Betis 4-1 last season to claim the UEFA Conference League trophy, it was the first time an English club had ever overcome Spanish opposition in a UEFA final.<\/p>\n
Champions League results in 2025\/26<\/p>\n
\nPlayed<\/p>\n
Won<\/p>\n
Drawn<\/p>\n
Lost<\/p>\n
Goal difference<\/p>\n
Win percentage<\/p>\n<\/tr>\n
\n| \n English clubs<\/p>\n<\/td>\n | \n 24<\/p>\n<\/td>\n | \n 17<\/p>\n<\/td>\n | \n 4<\/p>\n<\/td>\n | \n 3<\/p>\n<\/td>\n | \n +39<\/p>\n<\/td>\n | \n 71 per cent<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
\n| \n Spanish clubs<\/p>\n<\/td>\n | \n 20<\/p>\n<\/td>\n | \n 8<\/p>\n<\/td>\n | \n 2<\/p>\n<\/td>\n | \n 10<\/p>\n<\/td>\n | \n +3<\/p>\n<\/td>\n | \n 40 per cent<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n The champions of Spain finished second in last year\u2019s league phase table, but bowed out of the Champions League in the semi-finals, with a 7-6 aggregate loss to Inter Milan.<\/p>\n Just 23 seconds into a game against Athletic Bilbao on 22 October 2023, Marc Guiu<\/a> – now in Chelsea\u2019s ranks – briefly became Barcelona\u2019s youngest and fastest goalscoring debutant, aged 17 years and 291 days.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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