3 reasons why Chelsea was unlucky to lose the second-leg against Barcelona
The situation was similar to 2012 after the first-leg, though Barcelona managed to grab an away goal at Stamford Bridge this time and drew the first-leg 1-1.
The second-leg at the Camp Nou finished 3-0 on Wednesday night as Barcelona qualified to the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League 2017/18 on a 4-1 aggregate.
Antonio Conte started the game with a genuine no.9 while Andres Iniesta made the starting 11 for Ernesto Valverde.
A 0-0 draw was enough for Barcelona to proceed to the quarterfinals while Chelsea needed a win or a high scoring draw to proceed to the next round. The Blues have played well at the Camp Nou in the past and a close game was expected on Wednesday night.
Without much ado, let’s take a look at the reasons why Antonio Conte and his men were unlucky to lose 3-0 at the Camp Nou.
#3 Marcos Alonso hits the post
Though Barcelona took a 2-0 lead in the first half, Chelsea created chances of their own. The decisive moment of the game came very late in the first half. Olivier Giroud won a free kick for Chelsea in a dangerous position, when he was fouled by Samuel Umtiti from behind.
Marcos Alonso stepped up to take the free kick. Ter Stegen was well and truly beaten at the near post as the Spaniard curled a wonderful strike. But to the dismay of Antonio Conte and Chelsea fans, the ball struck the woodwork and deflected out for a goal kick.
A goal for Chelsea right before the halftime would have changed the complexion of the game completely. 2-1 at halftime would have given them the hope and without any doubt, it was the biggest moment of the second-leg.