Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho saluted his side’s mental strength after Didier Drogba rescued a 2-2 draw, leaving his side on the verge of reaching the last 16 of the Champions League.
The Portuguese was all praise for Chelsea’s dogged performance against Barcelona
BARCELONA: Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho saluted his side’s mental strength after Didier Drogba on Tuesday rescued a 2-2 draw away to holders Barcelona with a last-gap equaliser to leave his side on the verge of reaching the last 16 of the Champions League.
“The performance was brilliant. We were always in control against a very difficult team,” said Mourinho after his men made it 4 pts from two games against Barca and ten points from four Group A encounters.
“This group is the most difficult group in the Champions League,” said Mourinho, who praised Drogba’s neat finish deep into injury time. “His contribution was magnificent. When he had the big chance he put the ball in the net,” said Mourinho of the Ivorian international striker who is now competition top scorer with five goals. “The team did collectively very well — we were mentally very strong,” said Mourinho, who made light of his side’s six bookings, including one for midfield dynamo Frank Lampard, who will now miss the trip to Werder Bremen.
The Germans have yet to play in the Nou Camp but have a two-point advantage with two games left. Barcelona starlet Lionel Messi, who aside from a couple of lightning runs made little headway against a Chelsea back-four which teammate Rafa Marquez had earlier described as “tough as brick”, admitted the Catalan club were staring elimination in the face.
“I think we did everything right, but the football gods did not smile upon us. We did pretty much everything right, but now we have a difficult road ahead after this setback,” he said.
Barca coach Frank Rijkaard looked like a man who had suffered a Halloween trick after a result which leaves his side’s hopes of advancing hanging in the balance. “Chelsea are a very good, albeit an aggressive, side,” he said, then waxed laconic when asked about the ten bookings - six for Chelsea. “It was a pitched battle — it was very interesting.”
Italian referee Stefano Farina was slow to delve into his top pockets to play card tricks early on, but once he had begun he couldn’t stop — although both sides were guilty of some over-the-top tackling and provocation. “I went to thank the referee at the end for his participation,” said Rijkaard, deadpan despite guffaws in the press room. “We generally played very well, we were very close to winning.”
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