April 18, 2012 7:45 PM BST
Stamford Bridge — London
Team News
Chelsea
David Luiz is almost certain to be absent for Chelsea after being
stretchered off the pitch at Wembley at the weekend with a hamstring
injury. Gary Cahill should fill in.
Branislav Ivanovic will return at right-back after missing the win over Spurs due to a domestic suspension. Ivanovic, Cole, Luiz and Meireles are all one yellow card away from a European suspension.
Fernando Torres is likely to return up front in place of Didier Drogba,
while it is anyone's guess as to whether Di Matteo will stick with
Salomon Kalou in his starting XI, or if he decides to bring the likes of
Raul Meireles back into the side.
probable lineups : Cech, Cole, Cahill, Terry, Ivanovic, Lampard, Mikel, Ramires, Mata, Torres, Kalou. (4-3-3).
Barcelona
Xavi was taken off at half time in the win over Levante at the weekend.
Given that Barca were a goal down at the time and had to win the game to
keep up the chase with Real Madrid at the top of La Liga, it cannot be
considered a tactical change and can only be assumed to relate to Xavi's
recent injury troubles. Pep Guardiola will hope that his decision to
withdraw his playmaker pays off and he is fit to play at Stamford
Bridge.
Cesc Fabregas should start, on his first return to England since moving
to Barcelona last summer. He has been involved in a fair few tenacious
encounters at Stamford and will provide valuable experience for the
Catalans.
Villa, Abidal and Fontas remain absent, while Puyol and Mascherano are one yellow card away from missing the second leg.
probable lineups : Valdés, Alves, Piqué, Puyol, Adriano, Iniesta, Busquets, Xavi, Sánchez, Messi, Fábregas. (4-3-3).
Match Facts
Chelsea have drawn their last 3 matches against Barcelona in all competitions.
Chelsea have won their last 3 matches in UEFA Champions League.
There have been over 2.5 goals scored in 5 of Chelsea's last 6 games in UEFA Champions League.
Barcelona have been winning at both half time and full time in 8 of their last 9 matches in UEFA Champions League.
Barcelona have scored at least 3 goals in 6 of their last 7 matches in UEFA Champions League.
Barcelona have won 8 of their last 9 matches in UEFA Champions League.
Head to Head
Chelsea| Apr 15, 2012 | Tottenham 1 - Chelsea FC 5 | FA |
| Apr 9, 2012 | Fulham 1 - Chelsea FC 1 | EPL |
| Apr 7, 2012 | Chelsea FC 2 - Wigan Athletic 1 | EPL |
| Apr 4, 2012 | Chelsea FC 2 - Benfica 1 | UCL |
| Mar 31, 2012 | Aston Villa 2 - Chelsea FC 4 | EPL |
Barcelona| Apr 14, 2012 | Levante 1 - FC Barcelona 2 | LIGA |
| Apr 10, 2012 | FC Barcelona 4 - Getafe 0 | LIGA |
| Apr 7, 2012 | Zaragoza 1 - FC Barcelona 4 | LIGA |
| Apr 3, 2012 | FC Barcelona 3 - AC Milan 1 | UCL |
| Mar 31, 2012 | FC Barcelona 2 - Athletic Bilbao 0 | LIGA |
| UEFA Champions League (UCL) | Apr 28, 2009 | FC Barcelona 0 - Chelsea FC 0 |
| UEFA Champions League (UCL) | Apr 28, 2009 | FC Barcelona 0 - Chelsea FC 0 |
Prediction
Chelsea and Barcelona will reignite their rivalry at Stamford, just
short of 3 years after Chelsea were denied a place in the final thanks
to a last minute crucial equaliser from Andres Iniesta to put Barca
through on away goals, after the first leg had remained goalless. The
sides also met 4 times in 2006, with the spoils shared - the last 6
meetings have, in all, seen 4 draws, one win apiece and 6 goals apiece.
Chelsea have won 3 and lost only 1 of their last 5 home games against
Barcelona, but this is a vastly improved side that they face here, and
past results will be of little significance. The bitterness between the
teams will certainly remain, though.
The Londoners come into the game off the back of a resounding 5-1 win
over Tottenham to reach the final of the FA Cup, and while they will
have soaring confidence as a result, they will be tired after a tough
game and only 2 full days of rest before this game. They have, though,
lost only 1 of their last 12 games and none of their last 11 at home,
successfully juggling forays in the FA Cup and Champions League as well
as improving their league form and position in the Premier League. They
will need to try and get hold of the ball in this home leg so as not to
be worn down by Barcelona's passing game.
Both teams are on good runs of form at the moment, but Barcelona's
superiority cannot be underestimated. They simply have the better
players and are justifiably huge favourites to progress. The game at
Chelsea will be tight to begin with and there should be a good
atmosphere, but Barcelona should just be too strong for Chelsea to
handle.
Chelsea 1 - 2 barcelona
0 comments:
Post a Comment