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Match - Wed 18 April, 20:45,
| Goals | Goals |
|---|---|
| 11. Didier Drogba (45 + 2’) |
Barcelona going for away win at Chelsea
Barcelona's Andres Iniesta celebrates scoring the third goal
Barcelona will be in search of a win when they visit Stamford Bridge for the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semifinal clash against Chelsea on Wednesday.
Although the two sides met at this stage of the competition in 2009, the 0-0 draw at the Camp Nou and 1-1 draw in London saw the Catalans progressing to the final on the away goal rule.
The last time Barcelona won a match against Chelsea was back in 2006 and since then they have lost once and drawn four times.
Pep Guardiola’s men have won four of their five away games in the Champions League this season, the exception being the 0-0 in Milan at the quarterfinal stage which they ended up winning 3-1 on aggregate.
Chelsea, on the other hand, have been excellent at home this season and have won all five games played so far, scoring 16 goals and conceding only two.
However, Barcelona’s Andres Iniesta believes they have to go with the aim of ending the Blues’ winning streak in their own backyard.
“We will go out with a winning mentality, trying not to commit any mistakes, because they are so costly here," Iniesta said during a press conference.
"We always go out to win, but we have to think that this is a two-legged tie and we have two matches coming up. We will have a tough game on Wednesday."
When the two sides last met in 2009 it was Iniesta who broke Chelsea’s hearts by netting the crucial away goal in the dying moments of the second leg, sending the Blues packing.
“It was a very special moment, very intense for everyone, and remembering it is good, but that is in the past,” said Iniesta.
"They have more experience now. They signed some new players, like Fernando Torres and Juan Mata.
"They are very strong, dangerous and intense and all that will be even more noticeable in their stadium.”
Chelsea’s Didier Drogba has different memories from that clash as he received a three-match ban following his excessive badgering of referee Tom Henning Ovrebo.
Nevertheless, the Ivorian striker says he would rather forget that part of history and focus on the positives.
"It's not only bad memories - we have some good memories as well against Barcelona," Drogba said at a press conference.
"It's a 50-50, even if they are said to be the best team in the world and have the best player in the world.”
Roberto Di Matteo’s men defeated Benfica with an aggregate score of 3-1 in the quarterfinals and Drogba believes they can achieve similar success if they focus on the upcoming tie.
"There are two games. Anything can happen. The other game was a few years ago, so things have changed since then,” said Drogba.
"But the desire is the same, the desire to beat them. It's going to be a tough game for us but we're ready to play."
Barcelona will be boosted by the return of midfielders Seydou Keita and Ibrahim Afellay from injury, while Gerard Pique is also expected to start after sitting on the bench during the La Liga game against Levante on Saturday.
David Luiz is unlikely to feature for Chelsea after picking up a hamstring injury during an FA Cup clash against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
The two sides will meet again in Barcelona for the return leg on April 24th.
Although the two sides met at this stage of the competition in 2009, the 0-0 draw at the Camp Nou and 1-1 draw in London saw the Catalans progressing to the final on the away goal rule.
The last time Barcelona won a match against Chelsea was back in 2006 and since then they have lost once and drawn four times.
Pep Guardiola’s men have won four of their five away games in the Champions League this season, the exception being the 0-0 in Milan at the quarterfinal stage which they ended up winning 3-1 on aggregate.
Chelsea, on the other hand, have been excellent at home this season and have won all five games played so far, scoring 16 goals and conceding only two.
However, Barcelona’s Andres Iniesta believes they have to go with the aim of ending the Blues’ winning streak in their own backyard.
“We will go out with a winning mentality, trying not to commit any mistakes, because they are so costly here," Iniesta said during a press conference.
"We always go out to win, but we have to think that this is a two-legged tie and we have two matches coming up. We will have a tough game on Wednesday."
When the two sides last met in 2009 it was Iniesta who broke Chelsea’s hearts by netting the crucial away goal in the dying moments of the second leg, sending the Blues packing.
“It was a very special moment, very intense for everyone, and remembering it is good, but that is in the past,” said Iniesta.
"They have more experience now. They signed some new players, like Fernando Torres and Juan Mata.
"They are very strong, dangerous and intense and all that will be even more noticeable in their stadium.”
Chelsea’s Didier Drogba has different memories from that clash as he received a three-match ban following his excessive badgering of referee Tom Henning Ovrebo.
Nevertheless, the Ivorian striker says he would rather forget that part of history and focus on the positives.
"It's not only bad memories - we have some good memories as well against Barcelona," Drogba said at a press conference.
"It's a 50-50, even if they are said to be the best team in the world and have the best player in the world.”
Roberto Di Matteo’s men defeated Benfica with an aggregate score of 3-1 in the quarterfinals and Drogba believes they can achieve similar success if they focus on the upcoming tie.
"There are two games. Anything can happen. The other game was a few years ago, so things have changed since then,” said Drogba.
"But the desire is the same, the desire to beat them. It's going to be a tough game for us but we're ready to play."
Barcelona will be boosted by the return of midfielders Seydou Keita and Ibrahim Afellay from injury, while Gerard Pique is also expected to start after sitting on the bench during the La Liga game against Levante on Saturday.
David Luiz is unlikely to feature for Chelsea after picking up a hamstring injury during an FA Cup clash against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
The two sides will meet again in Barcelona for the return leg on April 24th.
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