Prediction: Chelsea vs Barcelona

17th April 2012

Chelsea fans are still unable to forget the controversial exit from the 2008/2009 Champions League semi-finals at the hands of Barcelona and this will be a perfect opportunity for the Blues to get revenge on their more illustrious opponents. The Catalans arrive to Stamford Bridge as favourites to go through, but they will need to work hard for the win against Chelsea.

Much has been said about Chelsea’s amazing turnaround in fortunes under Roberto Di Matteo, but the Italian coach certainly deserves all the praise he is getting for helping his team return to the right track. Following some excellent showings on both domestic and European stage, the Blues now hope to build on momentum and end this season on a high. The game against Barcelona will be a genuine test for this crop of players and it is remarkable that they earned a chance to fight for the most important trophy in European football in the same season that they were dubbed one of the worst generations in club’s recent history. While ties against Napoli and Benfica showed that team’s experience can go a long way and help them win games dominant opponents, the 5-1 victory over Tottenham in the FA Cup semi-final proved the Blues are on top of their game at the moment. If there ever was a perfect time to be facing mighty Barcelona it is now and there is every chance the hosts will be feeling optimistic before the clash at Stamford Bridge. Branislav Ivanovic is set to return from a domestic suspension, but David Luiz is likely to miss out through a hamstring problem.

Barcelona were always going to have a difficult task this season after winning the Champions League and La Liga titles last term, but even though Real Madrid have stolen the spotlight from them, the Catalans remain in the race for all three major trophies. Even if Pep Guardiola’s side took longer than usual to hit the ground running, with injuries to star players obviously playing a part, they managed to rediscover their form at a crucial stage of the season and they enter the decisive battles high on confidence. The run of 14 wins in last 15 games can give the Spanish giants plenty of reason for optimism before the trip to Stamford Bridge, but they will need to be wary of their opponents, who are playing their best football of the season. Guardiola is aware an away goal can make life a lot easier for his side in the return leg and he will certainly instruct his players to use every opportunity to test Petr Cech. The boss has no fresh injury worries after Gerard Pique, Seydou Keita and Dani Alves returned to the side.

Conclusion

Both Chelsea and Barcelona are on top of their game at the moment and are playing with a lot of confidence, and that should guarantee us an exciting game of football at Stamford Bridge. An early goal could open up the game and I, therefore, see over 2.5 goals as a good option here.

Verdict: Over 2.5 goals

Best Odds: 17/20

Bookmaker: BetVictor