Messi fires a shot from the edge of the box but Mikel closes him down and blocks the effort. It’s an early sighter that never reaches Cech.

Messi meets a cross with a header from the edge of the area, but Cech saves comfortably low to his right. It’s a routine stop for the Chelsea keeper.

Messi and Mikel tangle in midfield, with Messi committing the foul and conceding a free-kick in Chelsea’s half. It briefly halts Barcelona’s rhythm.

Driving through the center, Messi slips a perfectly weighted through ball to Fàbregas, whose dink over Cech is dramatically cleared off the line by Cole. It’s a superb defense-splitting pass that is inches from becoming an assist.

From the edge of the box, Messi lets fly but drags his shot wildly off target, sailing a long way wide. The crowd holds its breath before realizing it never threatened the goal.

Messi slips awkwardly in the center circle and stays down in pain for a moment, worrying the Barcelona bench before he gets back to his feet. The incident briefly raises fears of an injury.

From the edge of the area, Messi tries to test Chelsea again, but Cahill steps in and blocks his shot. The defender continues to frustrate him.

Messi misplaces a pass in midfield, and Lampard pounces, releasing Ramires who races down the left before crossing for Drogba to score. Messi’s turnover directly precedes Chelsea’s decisive goal.

Taking a free-kick from the left, Messi swings the ball into the box but Lampard is first to it and heads clear at the near post. Chelsea repel another Barcelona set piece.

Messi unleashes yet another effort from the edge of the box, but Cahill produces a top-class block to snuff out the shot. The defender repeatedly throws himself in front of Messi’s attempts.

Messi jinks and weaves through the center, looking to burst into space, but Cahill reads his movement perfectly and nicks the ball away. A promising dribble is halted by sharp defending.

Messi takes a direct free-kick and drives it low, but the ball thuds into the bottom of the wall and is cleared. The effort never troubles Cech, underlining that "the man is human."

With Ivanovic caught upfield, Messi breaks into space and shoots, only for Terry to step across and block his effort. Chelsea’s back line again closes him down at the crucial moment.

Ramires receives a yellow card after tripping Messi on the edge of the box as the Argentine drives towards goal. The foul gives Barcelona another dangerous free-kick.

Messi is fouled again about 25 yards out, with several Chelsea players converging on him as he tries to turn. Barcelona win yet another free-kick in a central area.

Drogba trips Messi 25 yards from goal and is booked, conceding a late free-kick in a dangerous position. It sets up one of Barcelona’s last big chances.

From the resulting free-kick, Messi delicately chips the ball into the box, Puyol glances a header toward the corner and Cech makes a superb full-length save. Messi’s clever delivery nearly creates the equaliser.