CL 2nd Round, 2nd leg, Barca (1) vs (1) Chelsea (RTE, BT Sports)

GavRedKing

I'm not expecting anything from this game truth be told, so lucky I'll miss pretty much all of it through work.

Barca might be missing Iniesta tonight and its between Dembele and 4-3-3 or Andre Gomes and keeping 4-4-2 for Valverde to pick between.

I reckon Chelsea will start with a CF tonight, the false 9 worked in the first leg and we were inches away from a first leg victory from Willian efforts.

Despite Barca dominating the ball, the first leg was even enough.

Chelsea will probably approach the game with the same style, sitting in and hoping to spring players around Giroud, who I think would start over Morata for his ability to hold the ball up and link the play in tight areas and under pressure.

I predict Barca will line up as is, but could easily swap Gomes for Dembele and go back to 4-4-2, this is assuming that Iniesta is out of tonights game.

Barca :

Ter-Stegen
Roberto Pique Umtiti Alba
Paulinho Busquets Rakitic
Messi Suarez Dembele

Chelsea should forgo the false 9 tonight and go for it, we need a high scoring draw or to beat Barca on the night, something that hasnt happened to them at the Camp Nou in about 16 months (IIRC).

Chelsea :

Tbo
Azp Christensen Rudiger
Moses Kante Cesc Alonso
Willian Giroud Hazard

Barca will have too much for Chelsea tonight I fear but as long as we dont get battered on the scoreline, I'll be content.

Barca 2-0 winners.

Agent Coulson

I think Chelsea can win this if an on form Hazard decides to show up.

martyos121

Comfortable win for Barca I reckon, once they break through and score Chelsea will be chasing it and they’ll be picked off on the counter attack. 3-0 or 4-1.

LuckyLloyd

Chelsea can sit with Plan A up to going 2 - 0 down, which gives them some hope.

Trigger

Agent Coulson wrote: »

I think Chelsea can win this if an on form Hazard decides to show up.

Are you at this again :pac:

GavRedKing

Well Lloyd is right, even a Barca goal doesnt change what we have to do, scoreless or 1-0 Barca, we're still well in the game on scoreline alone and have a chance.

If Barca push it and go 2 goals clear, its done and dusted.

I'm not expecting much anyway, our biggest fight is to try and dislodge someone from top 4 and thats very unliekly too.

Agent Coulson

astradave wrote: »

Are you at this again :pac:

Worked last night :P

GavRedKing

Agent Coulson wrote: »

Worked last night :P

I dont think you're going to need a jinx tonight, all signs and form points to a Barca victory.

Agent Coulson

GavRedKing wrote: »

I dont think you're going to need a jinx tonight, all signs and form points to a Barca victory.

I honestly do think if Hazard at his best turns up Chelsea can win.

Play him in his best position with a proper center forward on would be a start.

TheBoyFromAus

Need to play with a bit of sense at the back. How many goals have Chelsea cost or near cost themselves lately playing with it too much in our own box. We need to win possession and transition quickly into attack. If it means hammering the ball cross and up field then so be it. As long as its not pass, pass, pass then push we have an opportunity for a proper counter.

GavRedKing

Agent Coulson wrote: »

I honestly do think if Hazard at his best turns up Chelsea can win.

Play him in his best position with a proper center forward on would be a start.

Theres the problem, Morata is so out of form hes looking like Torres in his Chelsea days and Giroud still looks a bit rusty.

I would prefer a CF andno false 9 bo**ocks because it does allow Hazard the freedom he needs but it does woefully expose Alonso on that flank and Rudiger behind him, with Pedro or Willian starting LW, they have the ability to and brain to track back, Hazard doesnt really do that.

The flip side of that is to just let him do his thing and thats what I'd hope for.

If we go out of the CL, I'd prefer if we went out going for it with a CF than rolling over in the false 9 and having our belly tickled by Barca.

TheBoyFromAus

GavRedKing wrote: »

Theres the problem, Morata is so out of form hes looking like Torres in his Chelsea days and Giroud still looks a bit rusty.

I would prefer a CF andno false 9 bo**ocks because it does allow Hazard the freedom he needs but it does woefully expose Alonso on that flank and Rudiger behind him, with Pedro or Willian starting LW, they have the ability to and brain to track back, Hazard doesnt really do that.

The flip side of that is to just let him do his thing and thats what I'd hope for.

If we go out of the CL, I'd prefer if we went out going for it with a CF than rolling over in the false 9 and having our belly tickled by Barca.

Do you consider back tracking to be a significant issue against Barcelona? We will spend so much of the game compact in our own third i cant see many cases where Hazard would be required to track back all that much. Better to have him float in the space and have 2 players ready for a quick release of the ball. Use the height and strength of CF to bring the ball down and through for Hazard and let the boy run...

GavRedKing

TheBoyFromAus wrote: »

Do you consider back tracking to be a significant issue against Barcelona? We will spend so much of the game compact in our own third i cant see many cases where Hazard would be required to track back all that much. Better to have him float in the space and have 2 players ready for a quick release of the ball. Use the height and strength of CF to bring the ball down and through for Hazard and let the boy run...

I think the players will have to be switched on and alert of the runners around them.

Messi only needs a second to find a player running in behind.

Conte will probably go pragmatic and go 3-4-3 without a CF but I'm hoping he starts a CF, either of them will do and then bring the other on when we're chasing and need a goal or two.

monkey9

I expect Barca to go through, but i wouldn't be ruling Chelsea out at all. Some of their players don't always seem up for league games at times, but they'll definitely be all up for this on the big stage.

Harry Palmr

Willian to Giroud equalls goal threat.

TheBoyFromAus

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Willian to Giroud equalls goal threat.

Zappacosta to Giroud is the threat i would hope to see most. The way he whips his crosses is superb. Well beyond what Moses will ever manage

GavRedKing

TheBoyFromAus wrote: »

Zappacosta to Giroud is the threat i would hope to see most. The way he whips his crosses is superb. Well beyond what Moses will ever manage

Ya, Moses has been poor, although the entire team hasnt been great for some weeks now, truth be told.

Zappa wont start either, barring an injury, that rwb slot is Moses all day, unfortunately.

DJIMI TRARORE

Chelsea are well capable of scoring here and with Hazard playing for a possible La Liga transfer don't rule out a shock

monkey9

DJIMI TRARORE wrote: »

Chelsea are well capable of scoring here and with Hazard playing for a possible La Liga transfer don't rule out a shock

Giroud always seems to score in big games.

GavRedKing

DJIMI TRARORE wrote: »

Chelsea are well capable of scoring here and with Hazard playing for a possible La Liga transfer don't rule out a shock

Even if he comes off after 60 secs, hes likely to go to La Liga in the summer, its hardly an audtion. :pac:

Turtwig

I was really hoping hazard would join city.

Thanx 4 The Fish

Barca to walk this or Chelsea to scrape one and make no mistakes.

Hawksbee and Jacobs on with a suggestion that he is gong to deliberately sabotage it so that he gets fired. Sounds a bit far fetched but if they go with the lineup that he has predicted then you'd never know!!

GavRedKing

Turtwig wrote: »

I was really hoping hazard would join city.

No chance Chelsea will sell to a PL rival, he coudl do a Sanchez and leave at the end of a deal but Chelsea wont sell to City, I'd be certain.

Thanx 4 The Fish wrote: »

Barca to walk this or Chelsea to scrape one and make no mistakes.

Hawksbee and Jacobs on with a suggestion that he is gong to deliberately sabotage it so that he gets fired. Sounds a bit far fetched but if they go with the lineup that he has predicted then you'd never know!!

Go on?

Harry Palmr

You'll know in about 10 minutes!

Thanx 4 The Fish

I Was only half listening but he called out a line-up including no striker, bakayoko no Willian. I will listen in tomorrow but I am sure that if he has hit the target and they lose he will never shut up about it.

Like I said, can't see it myself, not exactly going to do his future job prospects any good if he looks like he has capitulated in a CL knockout game but he has said that Conte seems like he is extremely unhappy and could do anything.

GavRedKing

I dont think Conte needs to put a make shift side to send a message.

We'll likely be beat no matter who plays.

The main ones for me is Cesc/Drinkwater or Bakayoko and Giroud or Pedro.

beya2009

Chelsea have a chance of going through for sure. Barca are not as good as pressing as Man City and returning of Kante a massive help. Still, Barca's home form is unreal and the problem I fear for Chelsea is that their danger players in Hazard and Willian will not see much of the ball and when they do...they might be far too deep.

Barca could do with more pace on their side so I'm surprised the manager doesn't seem to trust Dembele yet so I doubt he will start. Another problem Chelsea will have is that this Barca team are solid defensively (think they have conceded the fewest goals in Europe this season). Chelsea will have to work their socks off and avoid a repeat of the Man City performance.

GavRedKing

Chelsea, as I predicted

Tbo
Azp Christensen Rudiger
Moses Kante Cesc Alonso
Willian Giroud Hazard

Barca are :

Ter-Stegen
Roberto Pique Umtiti Alba
Dembele Rakitic Busquets Iniesta
Messi Suarez

Big call from Valverde on Demebele and Iniesta.

Turtwig

Yessss Dembele. Hope the kid doesn't get nervous. He has amazing potential.

GavRedKing

Turtwig wrote: »

Yessss Dembele. Hope the kid doesn't get nervous. He has amazing potential.

Hes class, hasnt fully shown his potential at Barca since the move but the injuries have really stopped him in his tracks.

I am heppt yoo that Coutinho isnt able to play, a player like that can unlock a stubborn defence at a whim.

Turtwig

Barca 4 3 3 should give Willian and Hazard plenty of joy. Could this be the open game us neutrals have been dreaming of? Probably not but the configurations by both teams suggest it will be more open than it could have been:)

garra

GavRedKing wrote: »

Theres the problem, Morata is so out of form hes looking like Torres in his Chelsea days and Giroud still looks a bit rusty.

I would prefer a CF andno false 9 bo**ocks because it does allow Hazard the freedom he needs but it does woefully expose Alonso on that flank and Rudiger behind him, with Pedro or Willian starting LW, they have the ability to and brain to track back, Hazard doesnt really do that.

The flip side of that is to just let him do his thing and thats what I'd hope for.

If we go out of the CL, I'd prefer if we went out going for it with a CF than rolling over in the false 9 and having our belly tickled by Barca.

Haven't been following the fortunes of Chelsea too closely this season, but I'm curious to know how Morata's form has dipped, well nose-dived, from the flying buccaneering Zorro-like finisher he started out as.. to the shrunken-faced, tepid callow young man before us now? What the hell happened him?

Mr.Nice Guy

Looks like the plan is to go long towards Giroud. I mentioned this passage from Ruud Gullit's book a few months ago:

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=105885236&postcount=848

I reckon preparing for this game is why Conte was so intent on going for a target man and why he was linked with the likes of Crouch and Carroll in January before finally going for Giroud. I think Conte has decided to try this.

Tactically this game will be fascinating. Giroud needs to have a big performance. I'd still lean towards a Barca win because of Messi.

hullaballoo

He should have done that in the first leg being honest. Nothing wrong with deploying an ugly tactical set up against Barca. Worked in 2012.

theoneeyedman

Why are Barca booing the champions league anthem.

Are political symbols etc allowed in grounds now?

Agent Coulson

Game over.

monkey9

Poor goalkeeping.

Jim Bob Scratcher

Didn't take too long

SlickRic

What the fúck has happened to Courtois?

sligeach

Just like that.

KERSPLAT!

Come on to fuxk. That's shocking

beya2009

Christ what a goal by Messi

GavRedKing

Changes nothing for Chelsea really, we always had to score but the task and mentality, it willl be tough to come back from an early goal away.

I just hope the game doesnt run away from us.

eagle eye

beya2009 wrote: »

Christ what a goal by Messi

I was wondering if you were ahead of me or something and a second goal had been scored. That was not a great goal by any means, it was an error by Courtois.

Fromvert

Courtois has been steadily getting worse the last year or so. He's still a good keeper overall but he was a lot better when he first arrived at Chelsea.

KERSPLAT!

GavRedKing wrote: »

Changes nothing for Chelsea really, we always had to score but the task and mentality, it willl be tough to come back from an early goal away.

I just hope the game doesnt run away from us.

It's the ease with which they scored I'd be worried about. Courtois was terrible

tombliboo83

Fromvert wrote: »

Courtois has been steadily getting worse the last year or so. He's still a good keeper overall but he was a lot better when he first arrived at Chelsea.

He’ll be gone soon enough anyway

eagle eye

GavRedKing wrote: »

Changes nothing for Chelsea really, we always had to score but the task and mentality, it willl be tough to come back from an early goal away.

I just hope the game doesnt run away from us.

Yeah commentators said that as well but it does change things, if you score now you are level but if you scored and they didn't you would have won the match, how does that not change things?

SlickRic

Hazard and Willian in the mood.

GavRedKing

eagle eye wrote: »

Yeah commentators said that as well but it does change things, if you score now you are level but if you scored and they didn't you would have won the match, how does that not change things?

In the way that we had to score or we were out.

Now instead of potentially winning, we're playing for survival but we always had to score.

Not that I'd be overly optimistic about that.

GavRedKing

I dont mind losing to Barca as long as they go on and win the bloody thing.