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Chelsea welcomed an unexpected visitor to Stamford Bridge ahead of Tuesday's crunch Champions League clash against Barcelona, as a fox was spotted trotting through the stands.
On a night when Enzo Maresca opted not to deploy a traditional fox in the box up front, with winger Pedro Neto handed the task of leading the line, it was a fox in the stands that ultimately stole the spotlight.
Prime Video's cameras spotted the furry intruder scurrying through the Stamford Bridge stands before leaping up on to the empty seats.
Stadium security reportedly kept a watchful eye on the fox to make sure it did not disrupt pre-match preparations, with the fox first sighted approximately 90 minutes before kick-off.
The fox quietly disappeared before the droves of fans began to enter the 40,000-seater stadium, leading to no disruption to the eagerly-anticipated match.
Chelsea's European clashes with Barcelona have often created chaos and drama over the years, with the two successful clubs establishing something of a competitive rivalry.
A fox was spotted in the Stamford Bridge stands ahead of Chelsea's clash with Barcelona
Enzo Maresca (right), who named Pedro Neto (left) up front for the match against Barcelona, does not have too many 'fox in the box' strikers within his Chelsea ranks these days
The Catalans triumphed 3-0 over Chelsea at the Nou Camp in 2017-18, booting the Blues out of the tournament at the last-16 stage thanks to two goals from Lionel Messi and one from Ousmane Dembele.
The last time the two European giants clashed at Stamford Bridge in 2018, Chelsea drew 1-1 with the Spanish champions after Willian's second-half goal was cancelled out by another fine Messi finish.
Chelsea fans will fondly remember their two-legged semi-final clash with the Catalan giants in 2012 en route to winning the Champions League, which saw the west London club win 1-0 in the first leg thanks to Didier Drogba's winner at Stamford Bridge.
During a chaotic second leg at the Nou Camp, Chelsea found themselves two goals behind and down to 10 men after John Terry's red card, but managed to rally back to draw 2-2 on the night to seal their place in the Champions League final.
