Barca form does not faze Mata

Chelsea may be at long odds to beat Barcelona in the Champions League semi-finals, but Juan Mata insists the job is not impossible.

The Spaniard is speaking from experience, as he was a key part of the Valencia side who beat Pep Guardiola’s team at the semi-final stage of the Copa del Rey last year.

The 23-year-old told The Sunday Mirror: “That was one of my best games. To beat Barcelona, you have to play a great game. That is obvious.”

Mata believes if Chelsea can get their tactics right on the night and stop Barcelona from playing their formidable flowing game, they can pull off a shock result.

Barca are clear favourites to not only reach the final in Munich, but be crowned champions of Europe again – especially if Lionel Messi keeps up his sensational form.

However, the ex-Valencia man is not intimidated by the size of the challenge facing his side.

“They are a great team,” he said. “And you all know they have one of the best players in the world. But in football, nothing is impossible.

“We have to be clinical when we get chances and we have to be compact and defend as a team. We have to be together.

“From the start of the Champions League, Barcelona and Real Madrid have been favourites to win it. But maybe that will make it better for us. We know that if we play well, we will have opportunities to qualify.

“It is true that Barcelona have a lot of players with experience in this kind of game – but we do as well. And we have also reached a lot of semi-finals in the last eight years.”