Guardiola rallies Messi Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola rallied to the support of Lionel Messi after the Argentinian star's penalty miss that almost certainly cost his team a place in the UEFA Champions League final. Messi cut a disconsolate figure on Tuesday following his side's agonising semi-final exit to Chelsea, who fought back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 on the night and claim a 3-2 aggregate victory. Arguably the turning point in the contest came early in the second half when Messi smashed a penalty against the crossbar after Didier Drogba was adjudged to have brought down Cesc Fabregas. Had Messi converted his spot-kick Barcelona would have been 3-1 up and effectively assured of a place in the final against a Chelsea side reduced to 10 men following the first-half dismissal of John Terry. Fernando Torres' last-gasp equaliser, which came as Barcelona swarmed forward desperately in search of the goal that would seal the tie, shattered the Catalans' hopes of reaching a third final in four seasons. Guardiola however issued a vociferous defence of Messi, who has now failed to score in eight games against Chelsea. We've gotten to where we are today thanks to this kid. My admiration for him knows no limits. Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola on Lionel Messi "We've gotten to where we are today thanks to this kid," Guardiola said. "More than ever I want to thank him for what he's done for us. My admiration for him knows no limits.