Chelsea head to the Nou Camp attempting to hold onto a 1-0 lead from the first leg. Can they do it?
Tonight’s clash in Spain promises to be quite a match. What do we need to be asking ourselves ahead of kick-off?
Is this really Chelsea’s ‘old guard’s last chance?
This match has been billed as the last stand of Didier Drogba and co. Whether that is accurate or not remains to be seen. After all, who could have foreseen Chelsea making the Champions League semi-final two months ago? What this season has truly proved is that you can’t write anybody off. So to do so now for the future would be equally as unwise. But there are no guaranteed chances in the future, and this is a golden one staring them right in the face. What this match represents, is the best chance in three seasons for Chelsea to claim European silverware. Next season, several of these players may not be around, so for that reason they will want this more than ever- to win the trophy that has proved so elusive to them. If anything, the extra motivation may just give Chelsea the edge over a Barcelona side who have been there and done it two out of the last three seasons.
Will this result decide Roberto di Matteo’s future?
As much as we would like to say no, it just might. Win or draw- and he will go down in history by taking Chelsea to their second Champions League Final, at a time when nobody gave them a prayer. Di Matteo does not have the profile of a proven winner that Roman Abramovich craves, but he can set that straight tonight by proving himself in the toughest audition of them all. Lose, and the Russian may just decide to get the chequebook out once again and hire the man of his choice.
Will Chelsea go there to attack or defend?
This is the almost impossible dilemma Chelsea face. What is essential is that they keep it tight early on. Conceding an early goal would be disastrous in undoing all their hard work from the first leg and handing Barcelona the early initiative. The trump card Chelsea hold is their opportunity to strike themselves and score an away goal. By keeping the first leg goalless they have a huge chance to land a killer blow at any stage in the match. They cannot go there simply to sit back and defend for 90 minutes. Against Barcelona that is suicide, so they must attack, but also strike a balance and not leave themselves open at the back.
Can the players avoid crucial bookings?
Chelsea have a number of players who are just one card away from missing the final. Ashley Cole, Raul Meireles, Ramires, and David Luiz, should he be passed fit and selected. All of the first three are expected to play a part, and will have to tread a fine line against a team renowned for pushing their opponents to their limits. Ramires in-particular plays a high-energy game in the middle of the park, breaking up play, and with Barcelona’s players often criticised for their over-exaggeration of fouls, he could be one to suffer heartbreak. This only matters if Chelsea make the final of course, but right now they must dare to dream, and those on yellow cards must try not to allow it to affect their game, and just hope for a bit of luck.
Is it impossible to keep Lionel Messi quiet in his backyard?
Lionel Messi, the widely proclaimed World’s Best Footballer, will have all eyes on him tomorrow night. In response to our question, Real Madrid showed that it is possible to keep Messi quiet on Saturday night in El Clasico, but can you really expect him to go three big games in a row without scoring? Messi will be even more determined than ever to break what constitutes a barren spell by his standards. Arsenal found out to their cost in recent years how impossible it is to play against him over two legs, conceding four goals at the Nou Camp to Messi two years ago. For John Terry possibly and Gary Cahill certainly, it will be the biggest test of their careers so far. Improbable, but not impossible.
We just hope we are not talking about a dodgy referees decision or diving antics tomorrow. Can Chelsea do the unthinkable and knock Barcelona out?
images: © Ben Sutherland, © Will Palmer
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