Guardiola: Chelsea are favourites to progress

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola says Chelsea are now favourites in their Champions League semi-final after winning the first leg 1-0 on Wednesday.

A goal from Didier Drogba just before the break at Stamford Bridge proved the difference between the two sides and earned the west London outfit a crucial lead for the return leg at Camp Nou next week.

“Chelsea are favourites now, but we have 90 minutes ahead and we must try to do our best to go through,” Guardiola told reporters after the match.

“Our goal is to create 24 chances like we did today and score a goal. We must take same more risks, but I have told my players that if we created chances today, then we will do at Camp Nou as well.

“We know that in order to score, we need to create a lot of chances.”

Barcelona enjoyed the majority of possession during the 90 minutes, but could not convert their superiority into goals against a tenacious Chelsea side.

Guardiola rued his side’s lack of inspiration in front of goal and believes Chelsea will adopt a defensive approach in the second leg.

“The result is what it is,” he said. “We probably had the highest number of chances away from home in a semi-final game, but we know that not scoring on the road will damage you.

“They scored a goal and I imagine that the same thing will happen at Camp Nou, with 10 Chelsea players in their area.

“This is a good goal for us, we will take it and if we want to be considered a big side, we will have to win.”

The Catalan coach refused to criticise Roberto Di Matteo’s strategy, saying: “I am not the one to say how they must play.

“They are the ones who must know how they have to play, but we cannot forget the fact that they have reached the Champions League semi-finals six times in the last nine years.

“Unfair result? No, this is football. You do not win with possession of the ball; if that were the case then we would win all the time.

“You have to score goals and that is what we will try to do in the return leg.”