Chelsea went into the game knowing that they would have to overcome a Barca side with a formidable home record against English sides in the Champions League and they got off to the worst possible start at the Camp Nou.
With just two minutes on the clock the hosts were ahead. Ousmane Dembele - a shock starter - saw his attempted pass blocked but it dropped nicely for Luis Suarez to feed Lionel Messi and the Argentine slipped the ball through Thibaut Courtois’ legs from the narrowest of angles to open the scoring.
14 de marzo de 2018
Despite the early blow Chelsea responded well, seeing a number of forays forward stopped in their tracks by a stubborn Barca backline.
In-form winger Willian saw a low effort from some 25 yards well kept out by Marc-Andre Ter Stegen as he looked to continue his fine recent form in front of goal.
With 20 minutes gone though, Barce doubled their lead with only their second shot on target of the game. Samuel Umtiti made a great block to deny Eden Hazard at one end and Barca broke. Messi picked the pocket of Fabregas before driving forwards past two Chelsea defenders. The Argentine got his head up and spread the play to Dembele out on the right, with the Frenchman taking a touch before rifling past Courtois and into the top corner from 12 yards to justify his selection and then some.
Barca continued to press in the aftermath of that goal, Suarez being denied by a good stop from Courtois after meeting Andres Iniesta's fine back-heeled pass, whilst Gerard Pique was inches away from connecting with Messi's free-kick from deep on the right.
- Chelsea pressure -
As the half-time break appraoched Chelsea just started to build up a head of steam. Marcos Alonso's snapshot being palmed away by Ter Stegen, before the Spaniard crashed a free-kick form just outside the box off the outside of the post.
With that, Barca went in two goals to the good at the half, but it was the visitors who came out of the blocks quickest once again in the second half as Willian saw a decent effort blocked away by Umtiti.
Courtois almost presented Barca with a third as he cleared the ball straight to Suarez, but he made amends by keeping out the Uruguayan's powerful low effort.
Alonso was at the heart of everything early in the second period, with only a fine challenge from Dembele denying him a sight of goal.
Lest than 60 second later, the full-back went down under a challenge from Pique, but the referee waved away his protests, much to the frustration of Antonio Conte.
- Game over -
Despite Chelsea's strong start to the second half the game was over as a contest just after the hour mark. The home side piled forward on the counter with Suarez feeding Messi and he did the rest, skipping away from Azpilicueta and slipping the ball through the legs of Courtois for the second time in the game to score his 100th Champions League goal and secure Barca's place in the last eight.
14 de marzo de 2018
Messi saw a free-kick tipped over by Courtois late on as he went in search of his hat-trick but it wasn't to be, with the Belgian also doing well to deny Paulinho after he met a corner form the left unmarked at the far post.
Antonio Rudiger powered a header against the bar in the final minute of normal time as he looked for a consolation but Barca maintained their clean sheet and emerged 3-0 winners as they joined Real Madrid, Liverpool, Manchester City, Roma, Sevilla, Bayern Munich and Juventus in the Champions Legaue quarter-finals.