Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta has revealed what went through his mind when scoring the winner in the Champions League semi-final against Chelsea in 2009.
“We won everything that season,” Iniesta exclusively tells FourFourTwo,” but to win that Champions League final in Rome, we first had to get past Chelsea in the semi-finals.”
Following a 0-0 draw at Camp Nou in the first leg, Barcelona faced a difficult task at Stamford Bridge in the return fixture. They knew they had the advantage of the away goals rule, however, meaning that if they found the net against Chelsea, the Blues would need to score twice to ensure their progression to the final.
Barcelona strike versus Chelsea remembered by Andres Iniesta
Michael Essien got Chelsea off to a great start in the second leg, scoring a stunning volley in the ninth minute. With the minutes ticking by and down to 10 men following Eric Abidal’s red card, Barcelona’s hopes of reaching the final. That is, until Iniesta stepped up…
“The second leg at Stamford Bridge will stay with me forever,” he explains. “Have I ever thought about what would have happened if I hadn’t scored in the 93rd minute? Never, just in case!
“My shot was instinctive because I didn’t have time to think about the execution. The ball came to me perfectly, and I knew roughly how I wanted to strike it. Luckily, it went to the one spot where Petr Cech couldn’t reach it, which was almost miraculous, considering he was as big as the goal itself. That ball was pushed in by all of us.”
Cue pandemonium. Cutting his shot skilfully away from Cech, the Spaniard found the top corner to ensure Barcelona were the ones heading to Rome.
A dominant performance against Manchester United saw him lift his second Champions League title in just four seasons, with the 2009 one trumping his “bittersweet” feelings from 2006.
“Winning that Champions League title felt much better than three years previously, even though I played injured in that final against Manchester United,” Iniesta adds.
“I couldn’t shoot because of the risk of tearing a muscle, but internally I told myself, ‘I can’t miss this final after the one in Paris.’ It turned out incredibly, although I paid the price afterwards with several muscle injuries.”
