There is good news and bad news for Chelsea. First, the bad news: Leo Messi continues to amaze and Ronaldinho is back. Struggling physically, the Brazilian had started the season sluggishly for Barcelona after a disappointing World Cup but he appeared sharper at Camp Nou last night - and scored twice to set his side up for a 3-1 victory over Sevilla.
Messi collected a pass from Xavi to glide his way past the defence and curl a clever finish into the top corner on 85 minutes to cap a fantastic second-half display. It was a wonderful goal but the real damage had already been done by Ronaldinho. The victim of an elbow in the face from a frustrated Christian Poulsen as the game got bad-tempered, he had departed to a standing ovation five minutes earlier.
The Brazilian opened the scoring from the penalty spot on 28 minutes and curled in a wonderful free-kick 10 minutes later to exact revenge on the side that defeated Barcelona in the European Super Cup final in Monaco. In between those two strikes, Freddie Kanoute headed past Victor Valdes to equalise.
Ronaldinho's team-mates have been queuing up to insist he always comes good for the big games and they may just be right. Slow, distant and - heaven forbid - barely smiling before last night, the Brazilian appears to have re-awoken in time for Barca's biggest week: two goals against Spain's most on-form side here, with Chelsea and Real Madrid to come in the next seven days.
But now the good news for Chelsea: much as rotations made Barcelona a different side from the one that will play this week, they still put out a strong side and Jose Mourinho will have seen enough to convince him they have weaknesses, especially on the left wing, where Jesus Navas and Daniel Alves were a constant threat for Sevilla.
Sevilla started strongly, Poulsen snapping at Andres Iniesta to prevent Barca bringing the ball out from deep while his team-mates closed down their options further up the pitch, where Eidur Gudjohnsen is yet to connect with his team-mates as the injured Samuel Eto'o does.
When Sevilla did win the ball back they were purposeful and dynamic, with Luis Fabiano and Renato quick to play off the impressive Kanoute. They should also have had the lead on 24 minutes. Valdes made a sharp save from Luis Fabiano and from the resulting corner, Alves swung in a deep cross that Julien Escude headed home at the far post, only for the referee to rule it out for a foul that only he saw.
Within a minute, the referee had compounded his error, giving Barcelona a generous penalty, converted by Ronaldinho, when Juliano Belletti burst through and appeared to dive in the penalty area. He was not finished. Valdes made a sharp save after another dangerous Alves cross had been headed goalwards by Renato and Sevilla crafted a equaliser, but their work was undone when Barcelona were awarded a free-kick 30 yards out. Another dead ball, another goal and it was Messi's turn to leave mouths open. Mourinho will have noted Barca's glass jaw at the other end.
David Beckham was unable to stake a claim for an England recall, despite starting a match for the first time for a month this weekend. He was unable to take advantage of the opportunity presented by Jose Antonio Reyes's injury. Beckham was withdrawn on 67 minutes, having left no mark on a match in which a dreadful Real Madrid side lost 1-0 to Getafe. Alexis's header secured the points.
Guardian Service
