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Fabregas bemoans 'unjust' defeat
April 24, 2012
Cesc Fabregas decried Barcelona's shock Champions League semi-final defeat 2 Chelsea as "unjust" & insisted his team must now switch their focus 2 the Copa del Rey.
Leading 1-0 fr the 1st leg, Chelsea saw the tie levelled on aggregate when Sergio Busquets tapped home Isaac Cuenca's cross & their task became even greater when John Terry was sent off 4 kneeing Alexis Sanchez in the back.
But Ramires grabbed a goal right on half time 2 put Chelsea in the ascendancy 1s more, & a gargantuan rearguard effort fr Chelsea saw them hold on 4 the 2nd half with 10 men until Fernando Torres broke away 2 score in injury time & seal the defending champions' exit.
"Football is unjust sometimes," Fabregas said. "If there's 1 way u 1 2 lose, it's like tis, being true 2 our style.
"I'm 24 years old, & I've never seen the Camp Nou react like tis aft a defeat. Tis is a great team, we'll be back next year.
"Now we hv 2 think abt the 4 last Liga games & then the cup final. Tis team, tis club, has always risen again."
Barcelona's president Sandro Rosell said it was important 2 take the defeat in the right manner.
"We hv fought for 90mins, we stayed true 2 our game," he said. "I m proud of the team & the fans. Now we must prepare 4 cup final.
"We've shown tat we can win, & now it's the time 2 show tat we can lose 2. It has been a hard blow, but u can only congratulate Chelsea. You should be able 2 accept defeat."
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=340835&cc=4716
Chelsea's miracle at the Camp Nou
Chelsea produced 1 of the greatest escapes in the history of European football 2nite as they survived the sending off of John Terry 2 win an astonishing Champions League semi-final with Barcelona.
On a night of unparalleled drama @ the Nou Camp, Terry looked 2 hv pressed the self-destruct button on the Blues' hopes of glory on the continent when he saw red 4 kneeing Alexis Sanchez fr behind.
But the 10 men were simply magnificent 4 the rest of the 2nd leg, fighting back fr goals fr Sergio Busquets & Andres Iniesta with a stunning chip fr Ramires b4 half-time.
And aft surviving a Barca siege fr start 2 finish tat saw Lionel Messi miss a penalty, Fernando Torres came off the bench 2 score a stoppage-time breakaway goal as Chelsea avenged their 2009 defeat in the most dramatic manner possible.
Reaching their 2nd final came @ a huge cost, with Terry's red card & yellows 4 Ramires, Branislav Ivanovic & Raul Meireles ruling them out of the final.
But they will worry abt tat in the morning aft celebrating arguably the greatest result in the club's history & 1 which may finally convince Roman Abramovich 2 make Roberto Di Matteo's appointment as manager permanent.
Disaster struck 4 Chelsea as early as the 6th minute, Gary Cahill eventually forced off aft slipping & pulling his hamstring, with Jose Bosingwa coming on & Ivanovic forced 2 move 2 centre-back.
It was soon 1-1 on the injury front, Gerard Pique lasting just 26 mins of his recall aft failing 2 recover fr a sickening collision with the backside of Victor Valdes tat appeared 2 leave him briefly unconscious.
That failed 2 alter the pattern of a game which was a carbon copy of the 1st leg as Chelsea parked the bus 1s more.
Messi rippled the side-netting inside 3 mins &, aft both sides' injury woes, he should hv opening the scoring in the 20th minute, firing a 1-2 with Cesc Fabregas against Petr Cech's leg.
Fabregas also volleyed in2 the sidenetting & Cech tipped over Javier Mascherano's drive but there was hope 4 Chelsea b4 Pique's departure when Didier Drogba shrugged him off but could himself only find the side-netting fr the tightest of angles.
The 1st sign of Chelsea's discipline wavering came when John Obi Mikel was booked 4 chopping down Alexis Sanchez in the 32nd minute.
And when they went 2 sleep 3 mins later, they were behind, their failure 2 close down allowing Isaac Cuenca 2 square 4 Busquets 2 tap into a virtually unguarded net.
The build-up 2 tis tie was dominated by talk of refereeing meltdowns in previous clashes but Terry simply gave Cuneyt Cakir no choice but 2 dismiss him less than 2 mins later.
Sanchez over-reacted 2 the swipe, bringing back memories of David Beckham's 1998 World Cup sending-off, & Terry initially refused 2 walk.
But Cech made him listen 2 reason b4 picking the ball out of his own net again 2 mins b4 half time, Chelsea carved apart as Messi teed up Iniesta 2 stroke the ball home.
Chelsea looked dead & buried but, as @ Stamford Bridge, they struck a dagger blow with their 1st shot on target in 1st-half stoppage-time.
Frank Lampard was again the creator as Ramires burst thru & floated a glorious finish over Valdes - moments aft picking up a booking tat would rule him out of the final.
The cascade of noise tat had filled the Nou Camp turned 2 silence @ half-time but they were soon cheering again aft the restart when Drogba conceded a penalty.
Cakir adjudged the striker had tripped Fabregas & pointed 2 the spot, with Ivanovic cautioned 4 his protest.
It looked certain Messi would end his Chelsea hoodoo but, incredibly, he smashed his effort against the crossbar.
Lampard was fortunate 2 escape punishment 4 a flare-up with Fabregas, Sanchez nodded substitute Daniel Alves' cross wide, & Cech was booked 4 timewasting having already been warned b4 saving well again fr Cuenca.
Ivanovic almost capitalised aft Drogba helped Chelsea win a rare corner but he was warned himself aft going down theatrically, while Lampard was lucky 2 only see yellow 4 cutting down Fabregas aft Messi was booked 4 tugging him back.
The visitors were hanging on & were given 2 lifelines in 60 seconds in the final 10 minutes when Sanchez had a goal ruled out 4 offside & Messi hit the post fr 20 yards.
With time running out, Meireles was ruled out of the final aft being booked 4 fouling Mascherano, who Cech saved fr again in the final minute.
And then, in stoppage-time, a long clearance found substitute Torres with 50 yards of space in which 2 run.
Unlike most of his Chelsea career, he made no mistake, rounding Valdes & slotting home 2 jubilant scenes.