Chelsea and Barcelona served up another night of high drama but it was young Argentine Lionel Messi who gave the Spanish champions the edge in a game that included a red card, two own-goals and a late winner from Samuel Eto’o.

It ended 2-1 to Barca, just as it did 12 months ago, but this time Frank Rijkaard’s team will play the decisive second leg in the Nou Camp in a fortnight.

Eto’o’s late winner was a deserved one after Chelsea lost Asier Del Horno for a late challenge on the irrepressible Messi in the first half.

Jose Mourinho’s men refused to sit back, however, and stole the lead when Thiago Motta turned Frank Lampard’s free-kick into his own net in the 58th minute.

But Barcelona responded with their best football of the night. John Terry, hero of Chelsea’s 5-4 aggregate win last year, glanced a header into his own net as he tried to clear a dangerous Ronaldinho free-kick.

Then Eto’o, anonymous for most of the game, rose at the back post to head the winner with 10 minutes left.

With his incessant scampering Messi must have given Del Horno a headache within in the first half an hour, but the game erupted in the 37th minute the 18-year-old chased a long ball into the corner.

Arjen Robben had the edge on him and tried to shield the ball out of play for a goal-kick but Messi was too quick and skipped around the Dutchman, kept the ball in and left Robben floundering in a heap.

Del Horno came hurtling towards Messi but once again the young striker was too fast. He poked the ball past the Chelsea defender and then took evasive action to avoid the full force of his challenge.

Television replays showed it was a badly mistimed tackle but did not appear to be malicious.

It was probably a booking at most, but both Messi and Del Horno rolled around in the Stamford Bridge boggy surface and the inevitable scuffle ensued.

Norwegian referee Terje Hauge, who waited until Del Horno stopped pretending he was injured before granting the Barca wishes and brandishing his red card.

Chelsea were furious, Messi was fit to carry on and a smouldering Mourinho repaired his back four by replacing Joe Cole with Geremi.

Tempers had slowly risen from the kick-off as both teams struggled to find any rhythm on the Stamford Bridge "potato field". Barcelona showed no signs of their famous flowing football and, as Mourinho predicted, the pitch did the Blues no favours either.

Barcelona had the best of the first-half chances with Messi testing Cech in the third minute but Chelsea’s big goalkeeper looked in good touch.  He made a brilliant reflex save to deny Ronaldinho on the half-hour after Olegeur’s right-wing cross.

Chelsea did get a lucky break in first-half stoppage time when defender Rafael Marquez unleashed a fierce shot which smacked Geremi on the arm as he leapt to block. This time Barca’s appeals fell on deaf ears.

Mourinho sent Drogba on for Crespo at half-time and his players came out fired up. Robben wriggled into a shooting position and fired a low shot just wide and Paulo Ferreira, switched to left-back, saw a 30-yarder saved by Victor Valdes.

Eidur Gudjohnsen angered Barcelona players when he refused to kick the ball into touch with Thiago Motta on the floor injured.

The mood of the visitors worsened when Motta then turned Lampard’s swerving free-kick past his own keeper in the 58th minute.

But the Spaniards were level within 13 minutes with a similar goal.

Ronaldinho curled a free-kick into the area with pace and Terry glanced it into his own net with his head.

Chelsea were under pressure. Messi cracked the bar, Terry scrambled one off the line and Ricardo Carvalho made a saving tackle on Messi.

Drogba missed a good chance before Eto’o rose to head home a Marquez cross to give Barcelona a vital advantage.