Chelsea Get Stuck In Mud

Filed in archive Champions League on February 23, 2006

source: bbc.co.uk

The awful condition of Stamford Bridge cost Chelsea dear in their Champions League last 16 encounter with Barcelona. The pitch has been in a horrible state all season (see the picture) but some heavy rain the night before muddied the playing surface and ultimately Chelsea's chances of progressing.

The unhelpful observation that "both teams have to play on the surface" was trotted out by plenty of pundits before the game, but that all changed in the 36th minute when Chelsea's Asier Del Horno got himself sent off for a pretty desperate lunge at Argentinean wonderkid Leo Messi. Running is tiring enough on a muddy surface, but reduced to ten men against Barcelona it was lethal to Chelsea. They took an early lead but didn't have the legs to hold on, eventually going down 2-1 at home.