He gets some things wrong. I can't imagine Ferreira starting on Wednesday after his FA Cup display and Gallas must be on the pitch. He'll likely play RB with del Horno on the left. Ferreira is not fit. I'd be very surprised to see Maniche start as well. I wouldn't be shocked to see Cole in the middle of the pitch.
Its going to be a really tough battle for both teams.Chelsea like playing the long ball in the middle zone, in quick swifts. While Barcelona with Ronaldinho and Messi are going to invade the flanks. Makelele is not going to be really confortable with Motta this year, since Motta is a big beast an he will win almost all the air balls. I dont like his style, but the guy is a real nighmare. Joe Cole is the most dangerous player for Chelsea, but Markez is good quality. Lampard will be dangerous, but Edmilson is capable of stopping him. I could go on and on, but Barcelona to win the match, 2-0
At Stamford Bridge? I don't think so. Chelsea are more likely to have a clean sheet in this game. Plus the reports on goal.com are known to be extremely biased and sometimes just inaccurate assesments alltogether.
Goal.com is a joke. But etoo/Ronaldinho/Messi/Deco are more than capable of making chelseas defense break, if Betis managed to control Chelseas attack in the second game, Im sure they now to handle a team that has played against them twice. In Barcelonas defense the only defender, I can call weak is Olenguer, but Sylvinho, Edmilson and Puyol Can give a really good fight. Markez is also really good too. I dont know were is this rumor of the bad defense, as it is really compact, also thanks to the cdm Midfielders. Barcelona also have a great advantage, and that is that La Liga has Overall best strikers in the world, and midfielders all toguether! Barcelona has to play against teams that have some damm good quallity attack players. Chelseas attack if you compare them, to some other teams in La Liga, they dont play that much diferent in attack than other teams. If Barcelona is been able to dismantle most of this players so far! . Villa, Ronaldo, Cassano, Forlan, Guillermo Franco, Milosevic, Nihat, Webo, Saviola, Arizmendi, Regueiro, Kluivert, Mista, Tristan, Robert, Oliveira, Dani, Edu, Edu Gaspar, Zidane, Riquelme, Valeron, Navas, Raul Garcia, De Ridder, Punal, Vicente, Munitis, Sorin, Angulo, Luis Fabiano, Kezman, Torres, Maxi Rodriguez, Soldado, Valdo, Arduiz, Yeste, Excheberria, Iraola, Galleti, Beckam, Baptista, Bahiano. Jesuli, Tardelli, Jonathan, Diego Milito, Ewerthon, Cani, Movilla, Arango, Rivera, Joaquin, Alves, Renato, De la Pena, Tamudo, Zabaleta, Ibazaga, Martin Petrov, Rosicky(hehehe next year), Miguel Angel, Rikki, Assuncao, Okubo, Braulio, Javi Guerrero, Renato, Skoubu, Kovacevic, Guti, Kluivert, Hugo Viana, Antonito, Marcelo Sosa, Romero, Britt, Harte..etc Im confident that, they will be able to dismantle Chelseas attack, as the strengh of Chelsea is really is capability of Defense and controling the middle area. But Messi and Ronalinho will break the defense, guaranteed. Just watch and see, also Maurinho is not as confident to win this one, as last year as he has to deal with Messi, Edmilson and Motta!! One hell of a problem for Makelele and Company!
Last year we had no fit wingers. Now we have Cole, Robben and Duff. Last year we had to play Kezman on the right. This year our sub would be Shaun Wright Philips. I wouldn't count your chickens just yet. I'm very interested to see Belletti and Sylvinho trying to defend Robben. VERY interested.
Personally I don't see either team getting a clean sheet. Barca's defense is out-matched by Chelsea's forwards and Chelsea's defence (or anybody's defense for that matter) is likely to be outmatched by Barca's forwards. Both of these team's attacks have improved and neither of the team's defenses have improved over the past 12 months (and if you consider recent form, both defenses are worse now than last year at this time). And 12 months ago the aggregate already featured 9 goals.
Barcelona's passing won't work very well on Chelsea's potato field. They'll turn it into a scrappy long-ball game and Barca won't be able to adjust.
Messi and Ronaldinho are going to be deadly in the wings as they can be individual treaths to any defense, and to take care of one u need not only one or two defenders but a break down in ur strategy. www.as.com, confirm what I just said, and its not for sure that Belleti will start! This means motta and Edmilson are going to be the Cdm, and gives space for our left backs, as will probably be Sylvinho and Olenguer!
this game will be very different than the last year's. Messi and Ronaldinho will surely cause a lots of trouble in Chelsea defense but Barcelona does have a week defense and here chelsea can take the advantage. and IMO i think its better for chelsea to start with Hernan Crespo because he is the striker who can score goals in Champions League and he will surely put atleast one if he starts, so i hope this will be a very good game even with low scores.
I think most people in the footballing fraternity have allow themselves to be lost in the romanticism that which this match promises. I hate to say this but it's gonna be downright predictable but no less dull (if ur a chelski fan that is). The blues will not find it easy on the pitch against a technical side like Barcelona but with home advantage and Barce's tactical inadequacies, Chelsea should cruise on to the 2nd leg with a comfortable lead that somewhat flatters to decieve. Not that Mourinho would complain since his philosophies pretty much attune to winning and nothing else. Both teams will play exactly the same formation albeit in different styles. Robben and Messi will play as the unconventional wingers for their respective teams, cutting in from the wing to play as 2nd forwards rather than being old fashioned wingers. Whether Drogba or Crespo starts is a rather superfluous debate to begin with. Either of them would be able to exploit Puyol's lack of height and win their fair share of high balls, a tactic Chelsea's gonna employ tonight. Forgive me but I think Ronaldinho's role in Barce's relative success this season has been overrated by the so called experts all these while. Granted, he is the world's best footballer. But putting him out wide on the left is just wrong. The man leading the attack, Eto'o, is never a targetman and having the best wingers putting crosses into the box all day wouldn't help. Ronaldinho ought to be doing the Messi role instead and cut into the box and score goals rather than hogging the left touchline and running at defenders only to put in short,low passes into the box as he has often done this season due to the absence of a big targetman in the box. Another flawed decision by Rijkaard would be playing his compatriot Mark Van Bommel in midfield. He is the reason why Barcelona has lost Valencia and Atletico Madrid. The Dutchman is basically a technically limited anchorman masquerading as an attacking midfielder. He has been found wanting against the likes of Ruben Baraja and Peter Luccin with his inadept holding of the ball. Having said all that, I'm not so sure if Barce would be able to overturn the tie in the 2nd leg but for entertainment's sake I hope they do.
Haven't watched a single Barca match all season have ya? Pity... But I think they should still go ahead and play the first-leg anyway, yes? Or should we just spot Chelsea a 4-nil advantage and send them to the Camp Nou right now?
Watching Robben and Oleguer was fun. Del Horno is really an idiot for running into Messi. The ball was rolling far from Messi when he decided to tackle him.
I Knew that Belleti wasent going to start, and that Edmilson and Motta were going to play in the defensive midfielder area. Chelsea were lucky, eventhough Del Horno didnt deserve the red card, a Yellow would of been fine. But Barcelona had 3 shots on target in the first half, while chelsea were just breaking down in the wings, once again thanks to Van bronk, and Olenguer. The ref did not call a clearly hand ball of Makelele, that would of been a Penalty, and a clearly foul of Terry over Messi that should of evolved n another penalty. In the second period, Barcelona should of eaten them alive, but football is football, and Motta gave Chelsea the iniciative, However, Terry would do the same for Barcelona. Incredible Display of messi, and a really good performance of Terry that saved Chelsea from getting consumed. Chelsea cannot Cruise over Barcelona now days, last year was a different story. If u watch La Liga, u should now their attacking, and territorial dominance over the rest of the teams.Motta and Edmilson are really hard Cdm, to beat, you can ask Real Madrid or Villareal. The only Center defensive midfield that is at Barcelonas level right now is Valencias! Obiol, Baraja and Albelda are high Quality and they launch lightning contra-attacks,that can stop Barcelonas dominance on the pitch. I still sont understand where is Barcelonas weakness on Defense, as I dont see it this year. Markez/Sylvinho/Van Bronk/Puyol! are not weak, except maybe for Olenguer/or Belleti! Its not over yet, but I see It really hard for Chelsea to come back at the Camp Nou. Maybe Maurinho should ask Atletico the Madrids coach, how to winn by three goals at the Camp Nou, as it is the only team that has given Barcelona a lesson in their home soil. But u got to remember that their were many players from Barcelona, in suspension or injured when that game was played. Barcelona will probably winn the next match too, as I doubt Barcelonas attack is going to be reduced. Etoo or larsson/Ronaldinho/Messi/Deco are the best attack on the world, and Chelseas defense can stop all of them. Specially, Ronaldinho and Messi! and If u count, Having Van Bommel on the bench, and Motta/and Edmilson in the cdm, it will make Chelseas come back really hard.
don't be so confident. last year teams that dominated the first leg but failed to capitalize didn't fare so well. even real madrid dominated juventus last year in the first leg but came out wiht like a one goal win or something like that.
I've felt for a while Del Horno was Chelsea's weak link. And for all the Chelsea fans who lay into Messi's antics what did you say about Robben after the Reina incedent. I still don't rate Barca defensivly and last night only hieghtend that belief. I believe they can go to Barca and win but Barca are so god up top I can't see them keeping a clean sheet.
Del Horno was stupid and I'd be very surprised if he didn't find his way out of Chelsea in the summer. His moronic behaviour has given Barcelona a first leg lead they couldn't have dreamed of. Where's Wayne Bridge when you need him? I predict the second leg to have goals... lots and lots of goals.
Man I read some of these articles on futbol sites, some are so BIASED , they bitch about the redcard that was deserved 100% so stfu chelsea lost and deserved it. Barcelona played better and owned their lil pale asses , eat the fuqin dirt on that ghetto field u guys have cuz barca pwnt ur bitchasses so bow the fuq down bitches. much mothafuqin props to Messi, Marquez and the rest what a fuqn game.
RAFA MARQUEZ: .....HE WAS INSPIRED IN THIS GAME........ .......MADE ME CRY.... .....SO GOOD FOR BARCA AND HIMSELF..... .....SO GOOD FOR HIS ROOTS..... ....PLAYED LOW KEY AND HIS GAME WAS EFFICIENT... ....I BELIEVE OUT OF ALL THE BALLS HE DISPUTED, HE LOST ONE TO DROGBA AND ANOTHER WITH ROBBEN...GAVE AWAY ONE OR TWO BALLS...PARTICIPATED ON ALMOST A PENALTY KICK ON THE FIRST HALF BY SHOOTING A BALL OFF GEREMI....HE WAS INVOLVED ON THE EQUALIZER BY GETTING ON THE WAY OF TERRY, AND HE GAVE AN ASSIST TO ETO'O'S GOAL.... ...WITHOUT TAKING CREDIT AWAY FROM MESSI AND RONALDINHO IN THE ATTACK AND WHAT PUYOL AND OLEGUER DID ON DEFENSE FOR BARCA, I BELEIVE RAFA'S PARTICIPATION WAS KEY ON TODAY'S WIN... ....I AM PROUD OF YOU MAN, KEEP IT UP!...