Champions League preview: FC Barcelona v. Chelsea FC
Tuesday, 31 October 06, 01:52 PM · Comments (18)
Tuesday. It must Barcelona then. Some eight hundred miles and several stratospheres in football terms separate the cities of Sheffield and tonight’s destination: while the gung-ho graft of Jagielka and Montgomery presented one kind of test, the guile of Deco and Messi will pose another entirely. Hilario may have made light work of Danny Webber’s tepid spot kick, but his record is far more likely to be tarnished when — sorry, if — he faces Ronaldinho from twelve yards. And if we’re being brutally honest, Frank Rijkaard is certainly no Neil Warnock.
Saturday’s third gear 2-0 win over Sheffield United was typically business-like and clearly played with one eye on this evening. Ashley Cole was given a day off to contemplate a meeting with Messi and Khalid Boulahrouz, arguably the best player in the corresponding game at Stamford Bridge two weeks ago for his faultless marshalling of Ronaldinho, watched the game from the bench. The Dutchman, already looking like one of the most astute signings of the summer, could attain near-legendary status in SW6 if he contains the Brazilian in a similar fashion this evening. Barcelona are certainly missing their biggest goal threat, Samuel Eto’o and whilst his talent is unquestionable, Blues old boy Eidur Gudjohnsen is yet to prove he can alter the course of a game as effectively as Henrik Larsson, the player he replaced in the summer.
As the old adage suggests that buses come along in threes, this season has seen the worrying trend of Chelsea losing players in twos. Following the Cech / Cudicini injuries at Reading, Saturday's absence of Andriy Shevchenko (muscle strain) and the departure of Didier Drogba after forty-five minutes against the Blades is a serious cause for concern. Both players have travelled to Spain, but Mourinho has suggested that he may continue with Salomon Kalou up front after his impressive second half performance at the weekend. Cudicini is fit and available for selection, although Hilario looks likely to continue in goal following his ‘three point save’ at Bramall Lane.
The recent and largely acrimonious history is well documented and provides a powerful backdrop to tonight’s game. Frisk, Del Horno / Messi and the ongoing war of words between Rijkaard and Mourinho has made Chelsea v. Barcelona one of the most keenly anticipated and hotly contested fixtures in European football. Chelsea travel to the Nou Camp seeking a result that could mean qualification for the knockout stages; a win for the Blues would also leave Barca flirting uncomfortably with the UEFA Cup - even more so should Werder Bremen triumph against Levski Sofia in Group A’s other fixture.
As is almost customary, the inevitable pre-match phoney war has commenced in earnest with the managers’ press conferences. Mourinho’s thinly-veiled suggestion that Barcelona benefit from ‘favourable’ decisions at their Catalan fortress was typically bullish and inflammatory: "I know the number of penalties they get at home. I know how often they play against 10 men…" Following Gudjohnsen’s theatrical triple-pike with vinaigrette tumble to earn a penalty against Recreativo Huelva at the weekend, he certainly has a few allies at El Decano, the oldest football club in Spain whose president Francisco Mendoza has echoed Mourinho’s concerns. Rijkaard’s retort that such a suggestion comes from a ‘poor man’s mind’ was relatively tame in comparison, but it does little to disguise the Dutchman's anger at his opposite number; the exchange of Christmas cards between the two remains an unlikely prospect.
With the off-pitch hostilities in full swing to suggest that tonight’s referee, the Italian Stefano Farina, has a lot on his plate is something of an understatement. Three of his four Champions League outings last season involved English clubs, including Chelsea’s 2-0 away win over Anderlecht in November 2005. He took charge of the UEFA Super Cup in Monaco earlier this season, which saw Rijkaard's European champions humbled 3-0 by UEFA Cup winners FC Sevilla. Farina has overseen both the Milan and Rome derbies during his time in Italy, so hopefully he won’t be overawed by the occasion.
In the words of Alan Partridge, let battle commence. Come on you blue boys!
Teams
Barcelona — Samuel Eto’o is the only long-term absentee and Lionel Messi is fit again after missing the 3-0 win over Recreativo Huelva at the weekend with an ankle injury. From: Valdés, Jorquera, Belletti, Zambrotta, Edmàlson, Márquez, Puyol, Thuram, van Bronckhorst, Deco, Iniesta, Motta, Xavi, Giuly, Messi, Ronaldinho, Gudjohnsen, Saviola.
Chelsea (probable) — Petr Cech is our only long-term injury. From: Hilario, Cudicini, A. Cole, Bridge, Terry, Carvalho, Boulahrouz, Ferreira, Mikel, J. Cole, Essien, Makelele, Ballack, Lampard, Robben, Shevchenko, Drogba, Kalou.
Prediction
Not on your life, but should the game be played eleven versus eleven for ninety minutes, then hopefully the hacks won’t be rolling out their ‘(Hilario's?) Halloween Shocker!’ headlines tomorrow morning. Should Chelsea perform as they did in the second half against Rijkaard’s men at Stamford Bridge, then anything is possible.
Key Man
As is often the case with this fixture, probably the referee. But if we’re talking about a man in Blue rather than the one in black, then a typical ninety minute bulldog performance from Michael Essien is essential if we are to secure our first-ever win at the Nou Camp. Otherwise, whether Arjen Robben will start is open to question but his recent form suggests that he is definitely worthy of a run-out at some point.
The Man to Keep Quiet
Mourinho? Not likely, and if he's winding up Rijkaard et al then long may he continue. As for Barcelona, the talent at their disposal is truly awesome and nigh-on impossible to contain if they are at their best, but keep Deco's industrious midfield buzzing to a minimum and the Blues have more than a fighting chance of coming away with three points and a place in the last sixteen.
The Aftermath
Alcohol consumption permitting, you can read all about it here tomorrow.
Related links
- Pre-match briefing (official club website): Barcelona v. Chelsea
- The train in Spain includes strike pair
- Kevin McCarra: Only victory will justify the ‘devil’ and his detail
- Rijkaard anger as Mourinho accuses Gudjohnsen of learning new tricks
- It’s official: home is where the heart is for referees
- Rijkaard riled as pantomime villain gets up to tricks again
- BBC Sport: Barcelona v. Chelsea preview
- Barca all at sea
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I was convinced we'd lost at the Bridge, so really don't want to call this. Agree, the ref is the key - hence Jose's superb little wind-up. Very Fergie that one, complain about a weak ref before a big game and then kick shit out of Arsenal. Yay!
How beautiful was that? Didier, you are a 24 carat legend. And advance apologies for the following rant which would have been posted, win, lose or draw.
Barcelona, you are the most disgusting, vile, filthy cynical heap of human detritus ever to crawl onto a football pitch; you make Bruce Grobbelar look virtuous. The constant snide fouling and gamesmanship of the likes of Marquez and Motta in particular and your sickening holier than thou faux-saintly "we don't need to foul because we play such beeeeeaaaautiful football and we're sponsored by Unicef because we love the world and the game soooooo much" UEFA sponsored mask is so two-faced, so utterly repugnant that it makes me want to vomit blood. To see that spitting piece of dogshit Rijkaard on the pitch berating the referee sums your disgusting little clique - but how dare you allow this to happen? Don't you know who we are? Screaming and scratching with all the class and grace of a drunken Big Brother runner-up being refused entry to the VIP area of a third rate nightclub in Shoreditch. Arsehole.
So fuck you and all you stand for, you scabrous, pox-infested shitheap of an excuse for a football club - I pray for the day that I can see your nasty little band of scumbags having the living shit kicked out of them on a ploughed field in the Ukraine in the UEFA Cup.
Right, I'm off for a lie down now. My normal unbiased and easy-going self will be back for a match report tomorrow.
Barcelona, you are the most disgusting, vile, filthy cynical heap of human detritus ever to crawl onto a football pitch; you make Bruce Grobbelar look virtuous. The constant snide fouling and gamesmanship of the likes of Marquez and Motta in particular and your sickening holier than thou faux-saintly “we don’t need to foul because we play such beeeeeaaaautiful football and we’re sponsored by Unicef because we love the world and the game soooooo much†UEFA sponsored mask is so two-faced, so utterly repugnant that it makes me want to vomit blood. To see that spitting piece of dogshit Rijkaard on the pitch berating the referee sums your disgusting little clique - but how dare you allow this to happen? Don’t you know who we are? Screaming and scratching with all the class and grace of a drunken Big Brother runner-up being refused entry to the VIP area of a third rate nightclub in Shoreditch. Arsehole.
So fuck you and all you stand for, you scabrous, pox-infested shitheap of an excuse for a football club - I pray for the day that I can see your nasty little band of scumbags having the living shit kicked out of them on a ploughed field in the Ukraine in the UEFA Cup.
Amen.
Andy Townsend's a c*nt too. Show some allegiance to a former club, you arsehole.
The Heineken was flowing tonight... ;-)
God, that was good. What a game. What a goal. What a celebration by Jose.
Boring boring Chelsea do it again.
But Rijkaard's got to get done for that surely? What a horrible shower. I mean, we're not saints (and Drog was rotten cheating in the first half) but we really get stick for it (check out the Guardian's minute-by-minute commentary for one of the most pathetic, playing-to-the-gallery pieces of Chelsea-baiting nonsense). But Barca. Utterly, utterly repulsive and yet lauded to high heaven. I mean, over two legs we've outplayed them, whinged less, dived less, cheated less and made considerably fewer sniping comments to the press - yet we're still going to be painted as the bad guys here. Fucking pathetic. And it's been the same every time we play them. Be nice if somebody in the press even mentioned the Eto'o racism lies, the moans about the pitch, the constant criticism of our style of play, the truth about Rijkaard and Frisk, the fight on the pitch after we beat them at the Bridge...
Can't believe Townsend for digging out JM for ANSWERING THE QUESTION THE BLEEDING ITV INTERVIEWER ASKED HIM. What a tool.
Oh, and all those twats laughing at us for sticking Huth up front last season. Go and laugh at JM and JT now. All those hacks with their Ballack and Lampard can't play together; Drogba's rubbish, Lampard's lost it, Chelsea don't have enough width - they really think they know more about football than one of the best managers of the modern era. It'd be hilarious if they weren't all paid 60k for talking such shite.
And I've not even been drinking...
hung on every word the teamtalk text service gave me. certainly sounded like we should have put more past them.
Can someone explain the Townsend comments.... USA doesnt show CL games...
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Man what a game absolutly amazing i must say and guess what where not even at our best yet with the likes of joe cole, shevcenko,robben,ballack still to hit top form. Also i don't blame Drogba for play acting the whole game but i believe sometimes you have to fight fire with fire.
P.s How many people were relieved that cole wasnt sent of lol.
18 Comments · Add yours
Under Mourinho we have finished three games against Barcelona with 11 men, and never lost: twice we emerged victorious - 4-2 at Stamford Bridge in 2005, and 1-0 thirteen days ago - and last season left Camp Nou with a 1-1 draw.
Barca have won 2-1 twice during that time - home and away - but on both occasions they needed the referee's help. We scored first in both games only to lose a player to a red card - only then did Barca score.
So, if we get the opportunity to play 90 minutes 11 v. 11 I don't see why we can't get at least a point, which is what's required to progress to the knock-out stages. 2.3-1 the draw; 3.3-1 the win. Tempting.
But it doesn't bode well that in La Liga this season there have been three red cards shown to opponents of Barca.
Maybe I'll keep my money in my pocket and spend it on beer later...
you don' need to worry becos DROGBA is always there to put some magic goals inside the net, and thats why am not bothering my self. be at calm CHELSEA fans