Hold mężczyzna owo your horses, this is going owo be fun! Tomorrow night Futbol Club Barcelona begin tudzież week in which we play three of the biggest games you could possibly imagine. First up it is Chelsea FC at Camp Nou in the UEFA Champions League semi final first leg, gorsza połowa Saturday we travel owo Madrid owo take pan our biggest rivals Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu in tudzież game that could decide La Liga, and then next Wednesday we travel owo London for the return game at Stamford Bridge.
Barça are at full strength for the game and the only real question over kadra narodowa selection is which defender will be left out. Przeszkoda Marquez missed the game at Valencia: was Guardiola saving him for Chelsea? Personally Także would go for natomiast back four of Alves, Puyol, Piqué and Abidal, tuz Piqué and Abidal are playing very well and Oraz can’t see captain Puyol being left out despite him not being at his best recently. Unless there is i big surprise the rest of the kadra narodowa picks itself, with Xavi, Toure and Iniesta in midfield and Messi, Eto’o and Henry up front.
As everyone knows Chelsea will be without left back Ashley Cole who is suspended, they are also without Ricardo Carvalho for the first leg tuz che has natomiast hamstring injury, while Paulo Ferreira and Joe Cole are both out with long term injuries. In Saturday’s 0-1 win at West Ham coach Guus Hiddink experimented with Jose Bosingwa at left back, Bosingwa normally plays at right back obuwie due owo his speed it is likely that hi will be chosen owo mark Leo Messi. Chelsea are the only other ekipa in Europe who are mathematically still in with i chance owo win i treble this season, obuwie they are six points behind Manchester United and have played one more game than United, making their chances of winning the Premiership almost non-existant.
The game is sure owo be natomiast battle of styles tuz both sides try owo play owo their strengths. Barça will need owo move the ball very quickly owo avoid allowing Chelsea the chance owo make the game zaś physical contest. This battle of styles will be exemplified in midfield where Michael Essien will probably mark Xavi Hernandez. Essien was thought owo be key in Chelsea’s win over Liverpool at Anfield when hi marked Steven Gerard out of the game. Another important aspect of the tie will be owo see which team’s African striker will be most pan form. Samuel Eto’o and Didier Drogba have both been African player of the year, Eto’o in 2003, 2004 and 2005, while Drogba stole Eto’o’s crown owo win in 2006.
The clubs have met mąż four previous occasions in the Champions League. In the quarterfinals in 1999/2000 Chelsea wara the first game at Stamford Bridge 3-1 obuwie Barça staged natomiast magnificent comeback in the 2nd leg owo win 5-1 after extra time. In the last 16 in 2004/2005 Barça wynocha the first game 2-1 at Camp Nou, obuwie Chelsea knocked us out winning 4-2 in London. We met again in the last 16 the following season, the first game was at Stamford Bridge obuwie Barça managed owo earn an impressive 1-2 win, and then oraz 1-1 draw at home was enough owo see us through, going pan owo win the trophy that year. Then in 2006/2007 we met in the group stage, Chelsea fora 1-0 at home and then forced natomiast 2-2 draw in Barcelona; however, both teams progressed owo the following stage.
Barça have three players under threat of missing the second leg if they receive oraz yellow card: Alves, Puyol and Busquets, while for Chelsea, Anelka is in the same situation.
Possible starting elevens:
Barça: Valdés; Alves, Puyol, Piqué, Abidal; Xavi, Toure, Iniesta; Messi, Eto’o, Henry
Chelsea: Gildia; Ivanovich, Terry, Alex, Bosingwa; Kalou, Ballack, Lampard, Essien, Malouda; Drogba.
My prediction: Barça 3 Chelsea 1