CL | 1/8 Finals: FC Barcelona - Chelsea 4-1 agg.

[Lelouch vi Britannia]

It's payback time for 2012.

I don't see us winning the CL, but I want us to absolutely smash Chelsea.

I am very confident about this. I think 2015 was the last time I was this confident in a CL tie and I will most certainly not be anywhere near this confident about any other CL tie we may have this season. Messi will shut their fans up. It's long overdue.

 

[DonAndres]

This is a mixed draw for me. On one hand, we are definitely better than Chelsea right now even missing Dembele. Arthur may or may not be a crucial January acquisition that helps us in the CL too.

However, style wise, they are more of a pragmatic sit-back type of team (especially matched up vs us) and both legs could likely end up being low scoring grinded out wins. I'm more confident in this team for open games where our offense gets free and Messi gets the space/rhythm to operate, and where our passing play can actually be fluid. We've seen this team struggle to produce that kind of cohesion in all games let alone the more closed defensive contests. Imagine Rakitic against a Chelsea bus trying to create.

If the team plays as slow and ponderous as we have in recent months then Chelsea will find it easy to sit back and patiently wait for their moments. With the likes of Hazard/Morata they definitely can create danger. If we play the 4-4-2 it could hinder us going forward enough to just get shut out and rely on shitty crosses/long balls for desperate attacks. If we don't bring the game to them and emphasize our attacking play enough then our biggest strengths will become mitigated and our weaknesses amplified. Conte would also be a fool not to stick Kante on Messi the whole time seeing as he's the key to our entire system. And if Messi doesn't bring his A level awareness/effort then Kante may overwhelm him with his motor and relentlessness.

We may beat them out on talent and form but this could be a tough matchup. There's a number of scenarios that could have our best players performing poorly while Chelsea patiently anticipates opportunities. Regardless of who we were gonna face, EV has to shake things up big time tactically and the team needs to start performing much better as a collective. Seriously, the more we see this 4-4-2 fuckery insisted on the less hope I have.

 

[behindbrowneyes]

We've beaten all European Champions on the way to our last CL title. Let's do it again.

 

[Alexda]

I don't think they will be very difficult to beat. Next round will be tough...

 

[FC B]

Pretty difficult and interesting tie, glad the second leg will be at home.

 

[serghei]

This is a mixed draw for me. On one hand, we are definitely better than Chelsea right now even missing Dembele. Arthur may or may not be a crucial January acquisition that helps us in the CL too.

However, style wise, they are more of a pragmatic sit-back type of team (especially matched up vs us) and both legs could likely end up being low scoring grinded out wins. I'm more confident in this team for open games where our offense gets free and Messi gets the space/rhythm to operate, and where our passing play can actually be fluid. We've seen this team struggle to produce that kind of cohesion in all games let alone the more closed defensive contests. Imagine Rakitic against a Chelsea bus trying to create.

If the team plays as slow and ponderous as we have in recent months then Chelsea will find it easy to sit back and patiently wait for their moments. With the likes of Hazard/Morata they definitely can create danger. If we play the 4-4-2 it could hinder us going forward enough to just get shut out and rely on shitty crosses/long balls for desperate attacks. If we don't bring the game to them and emphasize our attacking play enough then our biggest strengths will become mitigated and our weaknesses amplified. Conte would also be a fool not to stick Kante on Messi the whole time seeing as he's the key to our entire system. And if Messi doesn't bring his A level awareness/effort then Kante may overwhelm him with his motor and relentlessness.

We may beat them out on talent and form but this could be a tough matchup. There's a number of scenarios that could have our best players performing poorly while Chelsea patiently anticipates opportunities. Regardless of who we were gonna face, EV has to shake things up big time tactically and the team needs to start performing much better as a collective. Seriously, the more we see this 4-4-2 fuckery insisted on the less hope I have.

I'm actually the opposite. I think Chelsea's style of play suits this Barca. This Barca is more conservative, happy to stall the game, waste time in possession, basically do more of the things the old Barca didn't have to do. Chelsea could have difficulties in scoring cheap goals, and everytime they knocked us out they scored goals based on our stupidity. If there's one plus side for Valverde's Barca is the fact that we are pretty clean in defense, don't concede a lot of cheap chances for the other team to exploit (and that's with a mediocre Pique). As Chelsea aren't good enough to outplay us, like Madrid, PSG, Bayern and City are, this becomes a great asset in the tie for Barca.

I can see a 1-0 win for us, a 0-0 or a 1-1 in England. Once we come back on Camp Nou with at least a narrow loss with goal(s) scored, we can finish them off at home.

 

[bodi16]

I don't think we can predict what will happen in this tie atm. At the very last, what matters the most is how our form goes, if we will be firing up till February like it happened in 14/15, then we shouldn't be worried at all. In football anything can change in 2 months, you can go from shit to great and viceversa.

 

[FinBarcelonafan]

I don't think we can predict what will happen in this tie atm. At the very last, what matters the most is how our form goes, if we will be firing up till February like it happened in 14/15, then we shouldn't be worried at all. In football anything can change in 2 months, you can go from shit to great and viceversa.

Exactly. This 3 game is months away. We have no idea what kind of form or injuries both teams have by then. Chelsea probably has less pressure in League.(hopefully they have bad stretch and they have to fight for 4th place..)

 

[slvtn]

Not the best draw, not the worst.
It will be very close. Barca's result are very effective so far and we have to step up against all teams.
We need to win this, because we need to smash PSG again in the round after.

 

[Dan1983]

Not the best draw, not the worst.
It will be very close. Barca's result are very effective so far and we have to step up against all teams.
We need to win this, because we need to smash PSG again in the round after.

I don't think they'll beat RM over two legs. I hope they do though.

 

[Blau10]

I do not like games with Chelsea Too many emotions. On the one hand, he was Iniesta . On the other hand, Torres and sadness
But I believe in the victory of Barca
VeB

 

[Dan1983]

I do not like games with Chelsea Too many emotions. On the one hand, he was Iniesta . On the other hand, Torres and sadness
But I believe in the victory of Barca
VeB

Iniesta's goal was beautiful. Just a shame the Chelsea and fans against us haven't stopped complaining about the match since.

 

[gasgas]

Iniesta's goal was beautiful. Just a shame the Chelsea and fans against us haven't stopped complaining about the match since.

They have a point

 

[Blau10]

Iniesta's goal was beautiful. Just a shame the Chelsea and fans against us haven't stopped complaining about the match since.

They had reasons. There was a lot of controversy. But this is football. And the judges only human.

 

[Dan1983]

They had reasons. There was a lot of controversy. But this is football. And the judges only human.

Indeed in both legs.