That is far from an isolated example. Take Barcelona, widely regarded as the finest club side in the world, contriving to lose on aggregate to Chelsea over two legs in the 2012 Champions League semifinals. Pep Guardiola’s side, brimming with the talents of Lionel Messi, Xavi Hernández, Andrés Iniesta and the rest, had 79 percent of the possession in the first leg and 82 percent in the second. They won neither match. It was the same that season against Mourinho’s Real Madrid: Barcelona had 72 percent of the ball, and lost. The ball is round, as Herberger would say. The unexpected does happen.
