Chelsea: Conte hoping for a ticket to the quarters with victory of Barcelona

The last set of matches in the Round of 16 brings us Barcelona taking on Chelsea at the Camp Nou. The previous meeting saw a late equalizer, settling the score at 1-1 for the return leg later tonight.

After last night’s entertainment this one promises to be even better. Two squads who boast some world-class players square off in one of Champions League greatest battles. Will Conte and his men repeat their European history?

Or, is Barcelona just in an untouchable league of their own this campaign, and prove to be too much to for the visitors in their beloved stadium?

Tuesday’s result, where English football took on Spanish football – the latter stole the show and certified a place in the next round, proving the English game may not be up to Champions League standard?

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Tonight will be a lot different with two goals already scored in the first leg. The strangest of all facts coming from this fixture is how happy Barca were to end the odds even – believing they came out tops.

This is a fear Conte must be looking to exploit and the only way he’s to do so – is with the right selection, and using the right player for the job.

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Chelsea were unlucky in the first leg

The game was not lucky enough to have more goals but had a lot of exciting moments. The previous result doesn’t suggest the Italian got it wrong against Valverde (Barcelona’s manager).

However, it took one error to cancel out the Blues advantage when Messi converted his first ever chance against the Blues in his footballing career. Chelsea’s set up was almost perfect, maybe the change for experience had to be made – to aid a youngster such as Andreas Christensen in the dying minutes of the game.

Another problem was the immobility and none existent, Eden Hazard in some parts of the games. He only managed two shots at goal and four dribbles. This sounds nowhere near to the Hazard performances we’ve come accustomed to.

The only person who showcased unlimited quality was the Belgian’s partner, Willian. He was too much for the opposition to deal with and was a wee bit unfortunate to miss his first opportunity of the game.

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Key to Chelsea’s match tonight

First and foremost – stopping the unabated attack of Messi and co. That must be their main goal, which is near impossible.

The next fix they need to adjust – putting Hazard in his most lethal position and using a proper number 9 up front to help in set-piece situations. Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud are both available for selection – Conte must use one of these options.

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Hold-up play, counter attacks, and finishing must be clinical. We saw it work for Barcelona’s rivals, Sevilla last night. It could workout the same for Conte. All these key aspects of the game work hand-in-hand and will help Chelsea book a ticket to the next round.

The most important but a sad point for any neutral – the possibility of the home team missing star player, Iniesta. He was heavily involved in the first leg. If he is absent from tonight – he will be a major influence missing.

This is going to a great fixture, one for now and for history.

Match time: 19:45 GMT; 21:45 CAT; 14:45 EST
Venue: Camp Nou
Score prediction: Barcelona 2-2 Chelsea (Going with history repeating itself)

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