The tie, as predicted by Barcelona players and manager, will very much be decided in the second leg as a Chelsea rearguard action soaked up enormous pressure.

The shut-out was our third consecutive draw in Camp Nou and we became the third side to stop Barcelona scoring this season and the first in this stadium.

In the end, for all the Catalan side's possession and technique, Cech was called upon to make just three difficult saves from their six shots on-target as the defence, marshalled by the excellent John Terry, did well with Lionel Messi's influence waning as the second half minutes ticked by.

Up front, we were only occasional visitors around the Barça area. The only shot on-target was Drogba's although he could well have scored on one other occasion. And for the second leg, our opponents will be missing two experienced defenders.

Bosingwa, as expected, did play at left-back but it was further forward that Hiddink sprung a slight surprise, giving Essien a role out wide on the right, as he had away to Juventus.

Mikel kept his place from the weekend win at West Ham to play deep in midfield with Ballack who returned along with Drogba and Alex.

It was Pep Guardiola who went most against expectation, the Barça coach leaving his captain on the bench. Whether the one booking needed by Puyol for a second leg suspension had affected his thinking was unclear at the off.

Setting a pattern for the first half, Henry drew an early foul from Ivanovic as he pushed forward on the left but the free-kick was wasted when Touré strayed offside.

Chelsea stretched Barcelona first the first time three minutes in, Malouda escaping Alves and crossing quickly for Essien to set up Lampard, the 20-yard effort curling wide.

Chelsea looked promisingly comfortable in possession in the first 10 minutes and a few Barcelona balls were going astray.

When Messi did drive for goal after good approach play by Iniesta and Henry, Terry proved a sufficiently solid wall.

Bosingwa was able to sweep up when Cech only half-dealt with a low Eto'o cross on 11 minutes and then Messi's first attempt to go around the outside of Bosingwa resulted in a foul by the Chelsea man, although there was a good claim for slight first contact by our man's outstretched boot.

The free-kick was again poor but with Barça's next attack, Alex had to clear hurriedly inside the six-yard box. After the moderately encouraging opening, Chelsea were now confined to our half and finding it hard to keep the ball.

On 24 minutes came the first booking, Messi the long-time favourite to be involved, was blocked by the leg of Alex as he nipped past. The free-kick was in a central position and it flicked up off the wall from Xavi's effort to safety.

Ballack made it two Chelsea cautions in four minutes for a lunge at the ankles of Henry midway inside our half.

Barcelona were patiently picking away the Chelsea defences. They came closest yet to breaking through them on 33 minutes when Henry shot strongly following a Messi and Iniesta press forward. Cech pushed round his post.

Touré was Barça's first yellow-carded player for dissent after Chelsea had fouled. Bizarre!

Then on 38 minutes, out of next to nothing, Chelsea could well have grabbed a goal. Bosingwa's ball initially seemed to have little menace but Drogba was onto it as Marquez underhit a back pass with the defence square. His shot from inside the area was too close to Valdez but our striker grabbed the rebound and as he tried to lift the ball over the keeper, a gloved hand clawed the ball to safety.

If nothing else, amongst all the home side domination, it showed they could still be caught out - as they were just moments later when Lampard robbed Pique but with Drogba surging into the box, he slipped in possession at just the wrong moment.

The opening 45 minutes ended with Spaniards having clearly been on top. The posessions stats read 70 per cent in their favour. What they hadn't done was blitz us with first-half goals as in the previous tie against Bayern Munich.

The second-half began with Malouda fouled by Alves out wide. Drogba's floated free-kick was met cleanly by Ballack who had risen in front of his marker, but the header was frustratingly too high. That was a good opportunity spurned.

Barça then suffered misfortune when Marquez collapsed in possession with no-one near with what must be a serious knee injury. Puyol was the natural replacement.

Approaching the hour, Barça began to press once more, Cech was quick to smoother one attack and Messi volleyed a corner over. Cech then beat away a ferocious drive from Alves as another corner was only half-cleared.

The game continued on its goalless way. Alves curled a free-kick nerve-frayingly close after Lampard had fouled centrally.

Then on 68 minutes came the real big escape. Eto'o turned an over-committed Alex too easily and ran beyond Terry. Alex raced back but the Cameroonian cut inside, only for Cech to superbly block the shot.

On 70 minutes came a rare Chelsea substitution - Lampard's number shown, Belletti the replacement to an ovation from his former supporters.

Still the rearguard action continued. There was a big Barça shout for a penalty claim for pulling by Bosingwa as Henry wheeled in the area, preparing to shoot.

Then came an interesting moment. Puyol showed dissent after a free-kick award in the centre-circle and was booked. Neither him, nor almost certainly Marquez, will be available in central defence at the Bridge.

As the game entered its final five minutes, Chelsea increasingly gave away free-kicks in our own half but survived.

Within seconds of the five minutes stoppage time announcement, the home side wasted the best chance of the game.

Substitute Bojan was the culprit, unmarked by tired defenders and heading over at the far post from an Alves cross. Then Cech proved again supreme, racing out and saving from Helb who'd broken free on the left.

Chelsea had survived, and indeed we could even have snatched it shortly before the end of normal time had Drogba managed to get past last-man Pique after an Essien break.

It's going to a red hot and fascinating night at the Bridge in eight days' time.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Cech; Ivanovic, Alex, Terry (c), Bosingwa; Ballack (90+4), Mikel; Essien, Lampard (Belletti 70), Malouda; Drogba.
Booked Alex 24, Ballack 28.

Barcelona (4-3-3): Valdés; Alves, Marquez (Puyol 50), Piqué, Abidal; Xavi (c), Touré, Iniesta; Messi, Eto'o (Bojan 81), Henry (Helb 86).
Booked Touré 36, Puyol 73.

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