The Blues controlled large spells of the first half, dictating the tempo and playing most of the football in Barcelona’s half. Despite our dominance and several promising openings, we were unable to convert that pressure into a breakthrough before the interval.

The game opened up after the restart, but it was Barcelona who struck first. Adrian Guerrero found space inside the box and finished confidently, giving the visitors the lead and prompting Calum McFarlane to turn to his bench for fresh energy.

The impact was immediate. Substitute Ibrahim Rabbaj made the perfect introduction, meeting a low ball inside the area and sliding home his first UEFA Youth League goal to bring Chelsea level.

The Blues continued to push for a winner, showing real character and intensity right up to the final whistle. Although the decisive goal eluded us, the performance ensured our unbeaten run in the competition continued, extending the streak to five matches as our Under-19s maintain our strong European form.

Strong start

Chelsea set the tempo from the opening whistle, immediately putting Barcelona under pressure down the right as Genesis Antwi burst into life. Using his pace and strength, he powered past his marker and delivered a dangerous cross that flashed across the face of goal, signalling the Blues’ intent in the early stages of this lively contest.

The threat soon shifted to the opposite flank. Ato Ampah glided into the penalty area, weaving past defenders before driving a low effort towards the near post, where Eder Aller reacted well to push the strike away.

Chelsea continued to ask questions. Harrison Murray-Campbell threaded a superb ball into the path of Antwi, who again surged forward with purpose. His initial effort was blocked, but the loose ball fell invitingly to Jesse Derry. The winger met it first time, but his strike rose over the bar - a big opportunity that went begging despite our early control.

As the half progressed, Barcelona gradually grew into the contest. Both sides continued to probe, but clear chances became harder to come by as the first period settled into a more measured rhythm.

Dominating the flanks

Our next major opportunity came through more excellent work from Antwi. After linking well with captain Shumaira Mheuka, he slipped the striker in inside the box. Mheuka shifted the ball onto his right foot and unleashed a powerful effort, but his rising strike drifted just over the bar.

Ampah threatened soon after. Freddy Bernal launched a superb long ball that found Antwi high up the pitch, and the full-back responded with a lofted delivery into the area. Ampah climbed above his marker and powered a header towards goal, but Aller was equal to it as we approached the half-hour mark.

Barcelona then created their first meaningful chance of the afternoon. Guerrero struck cleanly from distance, drilling a low effort on target. Bernal reacted sharply, getting down quickly to make the save as the half moved into its final stages.

Chelsea still had time for one more opening before the break. Derry worked tirelessly, gliding past his defender before cutting the ball back to Mheuka. The forward connected well, but Aller held his position and gathered the effort, ensuring the sides went into the interval level despite Chelsea's strong showing.

When the teams emerged for the second half, Barcelona immediately forced us onto the back foot as they raised their intensity and looked to seize control of the contest.

Barca respond

Pedro Villar produced the first warning of the period with a crisp strike from the edge of the box that drifted inches wide of the far post. Moments later, Bernal was called into action again, reacting brilliantly to tip Hafiz Gariba’s looping long-range effort over the crossbar.

Chelsea responded with intent at the other end. Reggie Walsh stepped forward and unleashed a powerful strike from distance that flashed just wide, a reminder that the Blues remained firmly in the battle.

Barcelona eventually broke the deadlock. Guille Fernandez lifted a clever squared ball into the box, and Adrian Guerrero reacted first, guiding a close-range header beyond Bernal to give the visitors the lead.

The Spanish side almost doubled their advantage moments later. Oriol Pallas curled a dangerous effort towards the far corner, sending a ripple of tension through the home crowd as the ball drifted narrowly wide.

Blues fight back

Chelsea refused to let the set-back derail our momentum and the equaliser arrived through the impact of substitute Rabbaj. The move began with a swift counter-attack and Walsh delivered an excellent low cross into the area. Rabbaj attacked it with real determination, sliding in to steer the ball into the bottom corner and bring the scores level at Cobham.

The tempo rose once more and Derry came close to putting us ahead. He struck a fierce effort that looked destined for the top corner, but the Barcelona goalkeeper reacted sharply and pushed the shot to safety.

In the closing stages, the Blues continued to push forward with real purpose despite tired legs beginning to show. Derry and Mheuka linked up well on several occasions, but that crucial final touch inside the penalty area continued to elude us.

We almost found a late winner when Rabbaj sparked another dangerous moment. He drove down the wing with confidence, beat his marker and delivered a teasing cross that created real uncertainty inside the Barcelona box, drawing anxious reactions from both the visitors and the home supporters.

Despite our late pressure, the decisive breakthrough would not come. The final whistle confirmed that the UEFA Youth League points would be shared, bringing an end to a hard-fought afternoon at Cobham.

What is next

Chelsea Under-19s will continue our UEFA Youth League campaign against Atalanta on Tuesday 9 November, with kick-off at 1pm (UK time) at the Centro Sportivo Bortolotti Campo.

The teams

Chelsea (4-3-3): Freddy Bernal; Genesis Antwi, Harrison Murray-Campbell, Olutayo Subuloye, Landon Emenalo; Ollie Harrison, Reggie Walsh, Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli (Charlie Holland 72); Jesse Derry, Shumaira Mheuka (c), Ato Ampah (Ibrahim Rabbaj 72)
Unused subs: Hudson Sands, Lewi Richards, Dante Waite, Reggie Watson, Frankie Runham, Sol Gordon, Chizaram Ezenwata
Scorer: Rabbaj 76
Booked: Walsh 6, Subuloye 36

Barcelona (4-3-3): Eder Aller, Guillem Victor (Nil Teixidor 81), Pol Bernabeu (Baba Kourouma 85), Pedro Villar, Alex Campos, Hafiz Gariba, Pedro Rodriguez, Guille Fernandez (Orian Goren 85), Adrian Guerrero, Shane Kluivert, Oriol Pallas (Lorenzo Oertli 81)
Unused subs: Nuhu Fofana, Nil Vicens, Lovro Chelfi, Ebrima Tunkara, Gerard Sala
Scorer: Guerrero 62
Booked: Fernandez 34