Played
April 24, 2012 7:45 PM BST
Camp Nou — Barcelona
Referee:‬ C. Çakιr‎
Attendance:‬ 95845‎
 

Barcelona - Chelsea Preview: Di Matteo's men look to hand the hosts their third defeat in a row

The Blueshope to claim a place in the Champions League final with a positive result at Camp Nou, while the home side are looking to overcome a one-goal defeat suffered in London

By Matthew Harold

  PROBABLE LINEUPS

BARCELONA

Valdes
Alves, Puyol, Pique, Adriano
Xavi, Busquets, Iniesta
Sanchez, Messi, Pedro
CHELSEA

Cech
Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Cole
Mikel, Meireles
Ramires, Lampard, Mata
Drogba

Barcelona could welcome back defender Gerard Pique after suffering back-to-back defeats in the first leg at Stamford Bridge, then against arch rivals Real Madrid during El Clasico on Saturday which looks to have cost the Catalans the La Liga title.

Both Carles Puyol and Javier Mascherano are currently walking a suspension tightrope, as another booking for either could see them miss out on the final in Munich, should the Spanish side overcome the one-goal deficit.

Pep Guardiola will have a full strength side to call upon, with only long-term absentees David Villa, Eric Abidal and Andreu Fontas remaining on the sidelines.

Chelsea boss Roberto Di Matteo should revert back to the side that performed so well during the first leg, after resting many of them for the weekend's goalless draw against Arsenal.

The only doubt for the Blues is goalscorer Didier Drogba, who has been suffering from a knee injury and was left out of the Arsenal game, while defender David Luiz will definitely miss out having been stretchered off during the FA Cup semi-final triumph over Tottenham.

Branislav Ivanovic, Ashley Cole and Ramires are all one booking away from missing a potential Champions League final place in Munich next month.

  DID YOU KNOW?
  • Defeat for Barcelona would see them lose their third game in a row for the first time since early 2003, when they suffered at the hands of Valencia, Celta Vigo and Atletico Madrid.
  • Should Pep Guardiola’s side fail to qualify for the Champions League final, their only real chance for a major trophy at the end of this season would be in the Copa del Rey, when they face Athletic Bilbao.
  • Barcelona frontman Lionel Messi (pictured right) is currently sitting on an incredible 63 goals so far this season, although he has failed to find the net in his last two fixtures.
  • The Camp Nou side have yet to be defeated in their seven meetings in Spain, although the last three have finished as draws.
  • Chelsea have only suffered defeat in one of their last 14 fixtures, with that loss coming at the hands of Manchester City.
  • The Stamford Bridge side are currently on the outside looking in when it comes to Champions League qualification through the Premier League, sitting in sixth place, four points behind Newcastle.
  • Blues boss Roberto Di Matteo will be hoping to exorcise the memories of the last time he visited Camp Nou as a Chelsea player, when his side suffered a 5-1 defeat as they crashed out of the Champions League at the quarter-final stage.


Field Report
Reader's Predictions
Top 3 Predictions
Head to Head
UEFA Champions League ‎(UCL)‎ 24 Apr 2012 Barcelona 2 - Chelsea FC 2
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UEFA Champions League ‎(UCL)‎ 18 Apr 2012 Chelsea FC 1 - Barcelona 0
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UEFA Champions League ‎(UCL)‎ 6 May 2009 Chelsea FC 1 - Barcelona 1
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UEFA Champions League ‎(UCL)‎ 28 Apr 2009 Barcelona 0 - Chelsea FC 0
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Last Five Matches
Odds
Returns: Barcelona £12.20 Bet365 Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200
Returns: Draw £170.00 WilliamHill Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25
Returns: Chelsea £670.00 WilliamHill Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25
Team News
Available Squads
1Víctor ValdésGoalkeeper
3PiquéDefender
5Carles PuyolDefender
4Cesc FàbregasMidfielder
6XaviMidfielder
8Andrés Iniesta LujánMidfielder
14Javier MascheranoMidfielder
16BusquetsMidfielder
9Alexis SánchezStriker
10Lionel MessiStriker
23CuencaStriker
13José Pinto ColoradoGoalkeeper
2Daniel AlvesDefender
21AdrianoDefender
11Thiago AlcántaraMidfielder
-Seydou KeitaMidfielder
17PedroStriker
37TelloStriker
1Petr CechGoalkeeper
2Branislav IvanovicDefender
3Ashley ColeDefender
24Gary CahillDefender
26John TerryDefender
7RamiresMidfielder
8Frank LampardMidfielder
12John Obi MikelMidfielder
14Raúl MeirelesMidfielder
10Juan MataStriker
12Didier DrogbaStriker
22Ross TurnbullGoalkeeper
19José BosingwaDefender
5Michael EssienMidfielder
15Florent MaloudaMidfielder
9Fernando TorresStriker
21Salomon KalouStriker
15Daniel SturridgeStriker
Players to Watch
Xavi
Xavi
Position: Midfielder
Squad Number: 6
Games Goals YC RC
11 1 0 0
The maestro of the Barcelona midfield, going up against a defensively minded Chelsea side will mean that the 32-year-old will have to be more creative in how he attempts to find teammates during the second leg.

He was the kingpin of the midfield during the first leg, being the focal point of the 754 passes that Barcelona completed during the fixture, so he’ll be hoping that his passing can help create the breakthrough in the tie.
John Terry
John Terry
Position: Defender
Squad Number: 26
Games Goals YC RC
2 0 0 0
The Chelsea skipper will have to be at his best in order to stop Lionel Messi & co to secure a place in the Champions League final place and a chance to exorcise the demons from the 2008 final when he missed during the penalty shootout against Manchester United.

He has shown his determination throughout recent weeks, playing through the pain of broken ribs to help his side as they search for their first ever Champions League trophy.
Prediction
After suffering defeat in two of their most important games so far this season, Pep Guardiola’s side will be under no illusions that a second leg victory is a must for the Catalans if they are to consider this season a success.

But the chance of a Champions League final will see Chelsea line-up in the same defensive manner as in the first leg and that will mean that Barcelona will be forced to break down the wall created by the Stamford Bridge side.
Editor's Prediction
Results
 
Match News
Top Scorers
Player   Goals Penalties
Cristiano Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo
Striker
Real Madrid
12 0
Robert  Lewandowski Robert Lewandowski
Striker
Borussia Dortmund
10 1
Thomas Müller Thomas Müller
Striker
Bayern Munich
8 1
Lionel Messi Lionel Messi
Striker
Barcelona
8 0
Burak Yılmaz Burak Yılmaz
Striker
Galatasaray
8 0