The European battles between Chelsea and Barcelona have been steeped in skulduggery since the first season they met back in 1966.
Long before either club would win their maiden Champions League crown, the pair were drawn against one another in the semifinals of the now-defunct Fairs Cup. Legend has it that Chelsea captain Ron “Chopper” Harris called upon the help of the local fire brigade to flood the pitch for the second leg at Stamford Bridge, forming a quagmire to quell Barcelona’s passing game. It worked: The Blues would force a replay with a 2–0 win.
This set the tone for the spiky subsequent meetings, which have been littered with red cards, refereeing controversies and, when the opportunity is allowed to arise, moments of great skill.
Rivaldo (far right) taking a free kick against Chelsea.
It was a six-goal thriller at Camp Nou in April 2000. / Ben Radford/Allsport/Getty Images
There were two Ballon d’Or victors, a glut of Champions League winners and Gianfranco Zola on the pitch, yet it was Jody Morris who stood out. Xavi Hernández singled out the tenacious midfielder as his toughest ever opponent after Chelsea ran Barcelona ragged at Stamford Bridge in the first leg of a helter-skelter Champions League quarterfinal in April 2000.
Xavi was dropped to the bench for the chaotic second leg while Morris failed to replicate his magic from the opening tie. Barcelona raced into a 2–0 first-half lead in front of a jubilant home crowd thanks to their two future Ballon d’Or winners; Rivaldo and Luís Figo. However, Tore André Flo maintained the theme of unlikely protagonists with a second-half strike for Chelsea, his third across the two legs.
Barcelona needed a third from Dani García to draw level on aggregate yet Rivaldo’s penalty miss in the 86th minute sent the game into extra time. The Brazilian would get on the scoresheet to eventually down the spirited Blues, but Chelsea undoubtedly played their part in a thrilling set of fixtures.
Still amazed by this, 18 years on...
🇧🇷 @10Ronaldinho genius 🤤#UCL pic.twitter.com/OyAjea3EzD
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) March 8, 2023
Ronaldinho’s goal at Stamford Bridge in 2005 was so good it overshadows everything else about that match.
Chelsea actually ran out 4–2 winners, rattling in three goals inside the opening 20 minutes to triumph 5–4 on aggregate, sparking a fracas at the final whistle as Barcelona were dumped out of the Champions League last 16. Yet, all that context has been washed away by the passage of time, leaving Ronaldinho’s moment of unrivalled ability to shine above everything else.
After bringing the ball to a complete stand still in the penalty D, Barcelona’s samba artist bewitched Ricardo Carvalho with a wiggle of his hips, transfixing the centre back just long enough to thump his toe through the middle of ball and beat a bamboozled Petr Čech.
“The worst thing is,” Čech sighed years later, “it was so quick and so surprising, that the moment I was ready to push I could see the ball by my side.”
Lionel Messi (centre) high-fiving Samuel Eto’o.
Lionel Messi (centre) was introduced to the English public at Stamford Bridge. / Phil Cole/Getty Images
By the end of Barcelona’s trip to Stamford Bridge on a frosty February evening, the English footballing world had been introduced to the supernatural talent of Lionel Messi. Chelsea left back Asier del Horno found out inside the opening half hour.
The increasingly beleaguered defender had already scythed down the teenage winger before he recklessly clattered into him by the corner flag with 36 minutes on the clock. Del Horno was promptly shown a red card which Mourinho somehow had the temerity to argue against. “Barcelona is a very cultured city,” he mused when accusing Messi of “play-acting” to force a dismissal. “It’s a place where they understand all about the theatre.”
Yet, even the bitter Portuguese boss couldn’t overlook the Argentine’s brilliance on a night when his beguiling talent was broadcast across the continent. “The kid is not just a very good player; he’s more than that.”
Happy birthday, @Torres! 😁 pic.twitter.com/zdKQEXfwFC
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) March 20, 2023
“It is clear that Barcelona are a step ahead of all other clubs,” Chelsea’s Fernando Torres admitted heading into the second leg of the 2012 Champions League semifinal. “But this is football: the best team doesn’t always win.” It turned out to be prophetic.
Torres himself rammed the final nail into Barcelona’s coffin to secure a 3–2 aggregate victory, streaking clear into an unguarded half of the pitch as the hosts desperately chased after a winner which never came.
The Catalans raced in front on aggregate and were playing 10 men following John Terry’s boneheaded dismissal with 45 minutes on the clock. A deft dink from Ramires in first-half stoppage time gave Chelsea a crucial away goal, setting the scene for an unrelenting onslaught from the hosts.
Barcelona boasted 86% possession, rattled off 13 shots and even had a penalty which Messi failed to convert before Torres proved that anything can happen in this crazy game.
📅 Fue un 𝟔 𝐝𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐲𝐨 𝐝𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟎𝟗
𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐎 de @andresiniesta8 😱#UCL | @FCBarcelona_es pic.twitter.com/yvV0jyV96Y
— Liga de Campeones (@LigadeCampeones) May 6, 2020
Chelsea’s hotly controversial Champions League semifinal exit to Barcelona in 2009 will forever be remembered for Didier Drogba’s screams into the camera at the end of a toxic defeat: “It’s a disgrace.”
Yet, for Iniesta, who scored the stoppage-time stunner to claim a victory on away goals, it began with a prematch wager. In the huddle ahead of kickoff, Barcelona’s less-than-prolific midfielder bet his teammate Bojan Krkić that he would score, offering up his allocation of tickets for a prospective Champions League final against Manchester United.
Considering Iniesta had only ever scored four goals in the competition up to that point, it was a safe bet. After a raft of dismissed penalty appeals, emphatically incorrect offside calls and countless cries of red cards, Iniesta ultimately delivered on his promise. The entire west London area was enraged, and Bojan probably wasn’t best pleased either when the dust settled.
Player Team Represented Goals Scored
Tore André Flo Chelsea 3
Ronaldinho Barcelona 3
Didier Drogba Chelsea 3
Frank Lampard Chelsea 3
Lionel Messi Barcelona 3
Stats viaTransfermarkt. Correct as of Nov. 24, 2025.
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