Ready to snap the goals!

Chelsea defend a corner kick in the fist half

Belletti's own goal was clearly against the run of play and Rijkarrd reckoned: "It came just as we were playing really well and we didn't deserve to let a goal in. That's the kind of thing that happens in football , but the players didn't drop the pace of the game and they managed to turn the result around, which I'd take my hat off to them for. The win was a tribute to the whole team's efforts".


Didi Drogba argues his sending-off

Maxi Lopez after scoring the equaliser

Rijkaard went on: "I feel proud of my team and proud to have played my part too. This was a game between two teams at the top of their leagues and my heart was really out there with the players tonight".

Before the match, at the home-end

The teams line up for the photographers before the match

Maxi, the Argentinean player recently signed by Barcelona marked his Champions League debut with a goal and a pass for Eto's all important second strike, whilst Didi Drogba missed a chance in the first half to put Chelsea 0-2 up, before seeing red in the second half for two yellow cards. Mourinho may be happy with his team's vital away goal, but Barca showed enough attacking flair that they must fancy their chances at Stamford Bridge in a fortnight's time. Frank Rijkaard told reporters after his team's 2-1 win over Chelsea: "We deserved to win. We put in a great effort to come back from a goal down and we were by far the better team".

We celebrate Maxi 's equaliser for Barcelona with the Barca fans

Maxi López's entrance in the second half proved decisive and his manager explained: "With the score at 0-1 and Chelsea down to 10 men, we figured we needed to make a change that could turn the result around. We chose to put an extra striker on and Maxi didn't let us down". Barcelona had tasted blood - and it wasn't long before the second goal came, this time a punishing shot from Eto'o, African footballer of the year, and a regular in the Cameroon national squad. It was only a matter of time before Eto'o marked the scoresheet; he had been running for every ball sent his way, putting the hapless Petr Check under constant pressure, which may explain Check's implausibly poor clearences in the first half, which invaribly seemed to reach the touchline before one of his Chelsea team-mates!

Victorious Barca say goodbye to defeated Chelsea

The scoreboard at 90 mimutes saya it all!

As to the Chelsea party's refusal to speak to the press after the game, Rijkaard expressed his surprise, but insisted: "There were no incidents between us. I think their reaction is over the top. I was around at half time and at the end of the game and I saw nothing unusual. I think they realised that there was too much hype before the game and too much talking after it , but I'm surprised that they've come up with this now". Jose Mourinho, the out-spoken Chelsea manager, had to eat his words after the game - before kick-off, he had been bragging that he had never lost two matches in a row, and had arrogantly "picked" the Barcelona team in newspaper reports. Now he may well be reflecting that his team will have it all to do at the return leg in March.