Barcelona 2 Chelsea 2 (THE SUN Article)

Chelsea win 3-2 on aggregate

WHAT A STORRY ... Fernando Torres celebrates after scoring a last-gasp goal

By SHAUN CUSTIS

Last Updated: 25th April 2012

THEY did it. They really did it.

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Chelsea are in the Champions League final after one of the most astonishing games an English club side has ever been involved in.

Liverpool’s comeback in Istanbul against AC Milan to lift the trophy seven years ago, and Manchester United’s last-minute turnaround against Bayern Munich on this ground in the 1999 final were special — but this runs them close.

Few believed Chelsea could do it, even fewer when skipper John Terry was sent off and they had to play for nearly two thirds of the game with 10 men.

HEARTBREAK ... Gary Cahill is forced off injured early on

But from Petr Cech, who was outstanding in goal, through to Didier Drogba fighting a lone battle up front, they emerged triumphant.

The blue angel which former boss Ruud Gullit says sits on the Chelsea crossbar did its job, too.

The great Lionel Messi hit the bar with a penalty and Cech touched a shot from the same player on to a post.

This was the seventh time Barca had failed to beat the Blues and Messi, scorer of 63 goals this season, still has not got one against them in eight attempts.

PIQUE FEELING PEAKY ... Gerard Pique is clattered by goalkeeper Victor Valdes

Chelsea, one up from the first leg, were 2-1 down on aggregate after 43 minutes — but they would not be beaten.

Ramires got one back before the break. And, to complete an event where we truly had to blink twice to make sure we were not seeing things, £50million sub Fernando Torres — the object of such ridicule since his arrival — broke away and rounded Victor Valdes to finish Barca off in added time.

The downside is that Chelsea go into the final in Munich against either Bayern or Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid on May 19 with four key men missing.

Terry is out because of his dismissal for foolishly kneeing Alexis Sanchez in the back, while Branislav Ivanovic, Ramires, and Raul Meireles will be absent too, having been booked.

BREAKTHROUGH ... Sergio Busquets celebrates giving Barcelona the lead

But that is a worry for another day because this was an evening for celebration. And how the Chelsea fans partied.

And what payback for that semi-final defeat in 2009, when they were denied four penalties and were undone by a last-gasp Andres Iniesta strike.

In this strangest of seasons, Roberto Di Matteo has transformed Blues’ fortunes since replacing the sacked Andre Villas-Boas. He must get the job full-time now.

And who would bet against Chelsea finishing the job off and winning the big one for the first time. They could even make it a double with the FA Cup.

RED MIST ... Terry remonstrates after being dismissed

There is a belief about this team which is unbreakable. Even with that lead from the first game at Stamford Bridge, the odds were against Chelsea here.

And the task got even harder when Gary Cahill was injured after only 12 minutes and had to be replaced by Jose Bosingwa.

Barca lost their own central defender Gerard Pique, who was taken to hospital after colliding with his own keeper Valdes.

He was replaced by Dani Alves but it did not unsettle the home side, who looked composed and ready to put Chelsea to the sword.

2-0 ... Andres Iniesta doubles Barcelona's lead

Cech had already kept out Messi after a one-two with Cesc Fabregas.

When Fabregas hooked just wide a minute later, it seemed it was going to be a very long night.

Barca finally scored on 35 minutes. A corner was cleared only as far as Alves who found Isaac Cuenca and his pull back was turned in by Sergio Busquets.

The Nou Camp went wild. And it went from bad to worse for Chelsea when Terry kneed Sanchez in the back.

RAM RAID ... Ramires gets one back for Chelsea with a delicate chip

Yes, the Chilean went down theatrically but it was idiotic by Terry and hard to argue with the red card.

For Terry, who missed the penalty in Moscow which would have won the Champions League final in 2008, it was another sour entry on his European CV.

Barca scored again when Messi played Iniesta through to sidefoot into the corner.

Frankly, that looked to be the end of that. How could Chelsea come back now?

WHAT A MESS ... Lionel Messi cracks the bar from the penalty spot

Yet out of nowhere they scored on the stroke of half-time as Ramires powered on to a gorgeous pass from Lampard and dinked an exquisite chip over the helpless Valdes.

Ramires had been booked moments earlier, so he knew he could be out of the final yet that did not deflect him from the cause.

On 48 minutes, Barca got a penalty when Drogba slid in on Fabregas, who hit the deck.

Up stepped Messi. Surely he was going to score against Chelsea now?

FRANK GOODNESS ... Frank Lampard celebrates Torres' goal

No! His kick cannoned back off the bar.

Drogba tried an outrageous shot from more than 60 yards, which Valdes had to dive to save. But Cech was the far busier keeper.

Xavi had a goal ruled out for offside, another Messi shot was touched on to the post by Cech, who also thwarted Javier Mascherano.

Suddenly the ball broke for sub Torres.

And the Spaniard stayed cool, skipped past Valdes and rolled the ball into an empty net.

Ladies and gentlemen, raise your glasses — the toast is Chelsea FC.

DREAM TEAM

STAR MAN — RAMIRES (CHELSEA)

CHELSEA: Cech 8, Ivanovic 7, Cahill 5 (Bosingwa 6), Terry 3, Cole 8, Mikel 6, Meireles 7, Mata 6 (Kalou 6), Lampard 8, Ramires 9, Drogba 8 (Torres 7). Subs Not Used: Turnbull, Essien, Malouda, Sturridge. Sent Off: Terry. Booked: Mikel, Ramires, Ivanovic, Cech, Lampard, Meireles.

BARCELONA: Valdes 6, Puyol 6, Pique 5 (Alves 5), Xavi 7, Mascherano 6, Busquets 8, Iniesta 8, Cuenca 6 (Tello 5), Fabregas 6 (Keita 5), Messi 7, Sanchez 8. Subs not used: Pinto, Thiago, Keita, Pedro, Adriano.