Ballack: We want to be Europe's best - Sport in brief - Evening Standard
       

Ballack: We want to be Europe's best

Michael Ballack is determined to erase the memory of last season's Champions League final defeat to Manchester United by lifting the trophy in Rome at the end of May.

Ballack played his defensive part in Chelsea's creditable goalless draw with Barcelona in their semi-final first leg in the Nou Camp last night. A superb defensive performance from the Blues kept free-scoring Barcelona at bay to give Chelsea a slight advantage going into the return leg at Stamford Bridge next week.

"We don't just want to reach the final, we want to win it," said Ballack. "You could see by the team spirit that everyone wants to get to the final again."

Chelsea were defiant and disciplined to a man as they stifled the life out of Barca's attack.

The Catalan giants had not failed to score at home all season and Lionel Messi, Thierry Henry and Samuel Eto'o have hit 90 goals between them.

But makeshift left-back Jose Bosingwa made Messi looked distinctly ordinary and John Terry and Alex were rock solid at the heart of the back line.

The rest of the Chelsea team produced equally praiseworthy displays, including Germany midfielder Ballack who is determined to wipe away the memory of last year's defeat in Moscow with victory in Rome.

"It's not easy to reach the final again in the next year, but we have a big chance now," added the Germany midfielder.

"If you saw how we got through to the final last year we were very focused and knew what we had to do.

"We have that experience to go on but Barcelona have it as well. There are always little points or a mistake that decide a game and this could be what happens at Stamford Bridge."

Sport in brief in Pictures

Don't Miss
The Glamour Awards - stars turn on the style

Glamour Awards

Stars turn on the style
Duchess of Cambridge is pretty in pink at her first Buckingham Palace garden party

Garden party

Duchess of Cambridge is pretty in pink
FIRST review of Ridley Scott's latest sci-fi blockbuster Prometheus

First review

Is Ridley Scott's Prometheus any good?
Fair-weather goths

Fair-weather goths

The sultry shades of summer darks are coming out of the shadows
London gets ready for the Diamond Jubilee - in pictures

Diamond Jubilee

London gets ready - in pictures
Dog save the Queen: Corgis surge in popularity

Dog save the Queen

Corgis surge in popularity
'He’s a better ex than he was a husband', says Boris Johnson's ex wife

A better ex than husband

We talk to Boris Johnson's ex wife
TV Baftas - in pictures

Best of the Baftas

Stars on the red, white and blue carpet
You big softie: Has Giles Coren put down his poison pen?

You big softie

Has Giles Coren put down his poison pen?
Pop star Paloma Faith, former Labour minister and Tory blogger back gay marriage video

Gay marriage

Pop star, former Labour minister and Tory blogger back gay marriage video