UCL: Barcelona vs Chelsea
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vs
01/11
02:30 Barcelona vs Chelsea Ch-23
a match that needs no introduction. no eto'o, no cech, sheva and ronal D off form. if drogba is playin than chelsea might nick it -
Mourinho fears Barca striker shortage
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho fears a striker crisis ahead of Tuesday night's Champions League trip to Barcelona after his side's battling Bramall Lane win over Sheffield United came at a price.
Mourinho revealed he lost Andriy Shevchenko before kick-off with a leg muscle injury - then watched as Didier Drogba limped out of action at the interval with a damaged right foot.
Both are now big doubts for the visit to the Nou Camp but Mourinho insisted he would seek inspiration from third-choice goalkeeper Hilario, whose early penalty save helped seal today's success.
Mourinho said: 'In the first game against Barcelona we played without two keepers and maybe now is the time to play without two forwards and I will just take defenders and midfielders.'
Mourinho would not be drawn on the extent of Shevchenko's injury but added of the withdrawal of Drogba: 'It was not a precaution - he could not play. He is in a lot of pain at the moment.' -
Rest of Tuesday's UEFA Champions League Fixtures.
October 31, 2006
Spartak Moscow v Inter Milan
- Ch 23 - 1:25am (Live) - Time from Starhub Programme Guide
Barcelona v Chelsea
- Ch 23 - 3:30am (Live) - Time from Starhub Programme Guide
Liverpool v Bordeaux
-Ch 24 - 3:30am (Live) - Time from Starhub Programme Guide
PSV Eindhoven v Galatasaray
Roma v Olympiakos
Shakhtar Donetsk v Valencia
Levski Sofia v Werder
Bayern Munich v Sporting Lisbon -
UCL: Barcelona vs Chelsea
Estadio Camp Nou
Updates
Barcelona
Barcelona forward Lionel Messi is optimistic that he will be able to play against Chelsea in the Champions League at home on Tuesday despite an ankle injury.
Normal business was resumed in the Nou Camp on Saturday as Barcelona brushed aside Recreativo Huelva. Ronaldinho hit back at his detractors with two of the goals, including a rare headed effort, in a result which sees Barcelona move clear at the top of the Spanish League.
In the end, though, it was another convincing win for the hosts. But the real test for Frank Rijkaard's side will come on Tuesday night against Chelsea in the Champions League. Barcelona will face an uphill struggle to qualify if they are beaten by Chelsea on Tuesday.
Chelsea
Boulahrouz, A Cole, Shevchenko were all rested during their weekend match with Sheffield United. Makelele only came on late as a sub during their 2-0 win.
Chelsea beat holders Barca 1-0 at Stamford Bridge to take a stranglehold on Champions League Group A. Ballack claims the win over Barcelona has injected new confidence into Jose Mourinho's squad.
The Blues have now taken nine points from three games and look certain to progress to the knockout stage, and they can leave Frank Rijkaard's team in deep trouble if they win in the Nou Camp on Tuesday.
Barcelona : Victor Valdes, Ronaldinho, Anderson Deco, Rafael Marquez, Leo Messi, Hernandez Xavi, Carles Puyol, Gianluca Zambrotta, Jose Gomes Edmilson, Silvio Sylvinho, Samuel Eto'o, Eidur Gudjohnsen, Andres Iniesta, Lilian Thuram, Giovanni Van Bronckhorst, Juliano Belletti, Ludovic Giuly, Thiago Motta, Santiago Ezquerro, Albert Jorquera, Presas Oleguer, Javier Saviola
Chelsea : Hilario, Boulahrouz, Carvalho, Terry, A Cole, Makelele, Essien, Lampard, Ballack, Drogba, Shevchenko, Robben, Cudicini, Ferreira, Bridge, Geremi, Mikel, J Cole, Kalou, Wright-Phillips, -
Mourinho's dig at Barca divers
JOSE MOURINHO has warned his stars to beware of BarcelonaÂ’s divers.
The Chelsea chief saw tomorrow night’s Champions League rivals beat Recreativo Huelva 3-0 on Saturday — and noted their theatrics.
Eidur Gudjohnsen won a disputed penalty and Recreativo coach Marcelino Garcia said: “It was a disgraceful decision. Barca do not need to play like this to win.
Chelsea were last night boosted by the presence of Didier Drogba and Andriy Shevchenko on their flight to Barcelona.
Drogba injured his right foot in the 2-0 win against Sheffield United on Saturday.
Shevchenko has missed the clubÂ’s last two games after picking up a leg muscle injury against Ports-mouth nine days ago.
Mourinho will assess the pair in training today before finalising his line-up.
BarcaÂ’s Argentine star Lionel Messi is expected to play after being rested on Saturday night.
Mourinho's dig at Barca divers -
Barcelona out to dispel doubts against Chelsea
MADRID, Oct 30 (Reuters) - After consecutive defeats at Chelsea and Real Madrid, Barcelona are out to dispel the doubts over their form when they host the Londoners in the Champions League at the Nou Camp on Tuesday.
But it will not just be prestige that is at stake when Barca meet their old foes as the Euorpean champions know that defeat could seriously jeopardise their chances of making a successful defence of their crown.
Barca are in joint second spot in Group A, level on four points with Werder Bremen and five behind Chelsea after their 1-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge two weeks ago and they need a win if they want to be sure of staying ahead of the Germans.
Frank Rijkaard's side have been a long way from their best in recent games and it took a dubious penalty to break the deadlock in their 3-0 victory over Recreativo Huelva on Saturday.
One positive aspect of the victory, however, was a sign of recovery from Ronaldinho who was a shadow of his former self in the defeats at Chelsea and Real.
The Brazilian netted the opening penalty and also scored a neat header to take his league tally for the season to five goals. -
Barca are back to winning ways after their 3-0 home win last weekend.
so i dont expect chelsea to get anything from this game -
Barcelona v Chelsea
Strikers Andriy Shevchenko and Didier Drogba have travelled with the Chelsea squad to Barcelona, despite injury concerns for both players.
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho is also expected to keep faith with Hilario in goal though Carlo Cudicini is fit.
Barcelona's Argentine winger Lionel Messi is fit after an ankle injury.
Chelsea go into the tie top of Group A after three wins. Another victory will take them through to the knockout stages but a draw would also be enough if Werder fail to win in Sofia.
Head-to-heads
This is the third consecutive season in which Barcelona and Chelsea play each other in the Champions League. In their most recent group match, Chelsea won 1-0 at Stamford Bridge courtesy of a Didier Drogba goal. Last season, Barca knocked out the Londoners, 3-2 on aggregate and avenged their 5-4 aggregate defeat a year earlier.
Barcelona also knocked the Londoners out of the 1965-66 Fairs Cup and the 1999-2000 Champions League, and they have never lost at home to Chelsea. -
BARCELONAÂ’S Nou Camp stadium has long been one of footballÂ’s greatest stages.
So how appropriate that, according to Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, it also employs some of the finest actors.
According to Mourinho, Eidur Gudjohnsen has also become a leading thespian in the three months since he moved to Barca from Chelsea.
ThatÂ’s right, good old Eidur, the Icelandic star of whom Mourinho used to speak so highly at Stamford Bridge.
Now, claims Mourinho, Gudjohnsen has been so poisoned by the nasty Spanish League he is no longer recognisable as the fine upstanding citizen who once graced West London.
Mourinho, speaking ahead of tonightÂ’s Champions League clash in the Nou Camp, was not impressed by GudjohnsenÂ’s behaviour.
“But I know the number of penalties they have at home. I know the number of times they play against 10 players and it’s a bit surprising.
“Eidur played in English football all his life and three months later he gets that penalty. It’s Spanish competition.
“It’s a praise to English football and to the English Press because if the players do that in England you kill them.”
Ah yes, so we do. In fact was it not a certain Didier Drogba who used to be the biggest culprit of all?
His dubious behaviour was highlighted on the back pages week in, week out, and Mourinho never stopped complaining about the criticism of the Ivory Coast striker.
Yet Drogba was such a diver even his own supporters booed him and he had to clean up his act.
Mourinho never took him to task, though, and he was happy to let him get away with it as long as he could.
An undeniable case of pots and kettles — but such double-standards have never bothered Jose. He just likes rubbing Barca up the wrong way. As he was leaving the pre-match Press conference, Mourinho was asked about his reference last season to Messi’s play-acting when he said that Barcelona was famous for its theatres.
“Theatre?” said Mourinho. “Ask Eidur about theatre.”
Barca chief Frank Rijkaard tried desperately not to rise to the bait. -
Rijkaard anger as Mourinho accuses Gudjohnsen of learning new tricks
Even when the stakes are fairly small Jose Mourinho is unrelenting in his scheming. In preparation for tonight's Champions League match at the Camp Nou he used the dive with which Eidur Gudjohnsen gained a penalty for Barcelona in La Liga on Saturday to portray his opponents as being steeped in deceitfulness. His opposite number Frank Rijkaard replied with a contemptuous review of Mourinho's thought processes: "It's a poor man's mind in general."
Mourinho actually had his wits about him, unappealing as the tactic was. He nurses grievances regarding Barcelona and must hope to make the referee Stefano Faria suspicious of events this evening. Gudjohnsen's behaviour led to the opener in a 3-0 win over Recreativo Huelva and Mourinho's insinuation is that the Icelander has only been instructed in these black arts since moving from Chelsea in the summer.
It was a harsh way to speak of an ex-employee and the subject grew preposterous when he purported to be extolling the Premiership. -
dont be surprised if in the end everyone is fit to play.
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That wouldn't be a surprise at all, i would be surprise if they didn't play...Originally posted by dragg:dont be surprised if in the end everyone is fit to play.
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Barcelona have backed Eidur Gudjohnsen to prove an effective deputy for the injured Samuel Eto'o and have ruled out buying a new striker in January.
Ex-Chelsea striker Gudjohnsen has hit two league goals and has yet to score in Europe this season before Tuesday's Champions League tie with the Blues.
Barcelona vice-president Ferran Soriano told BBC Sport: "We have a lot of confidence in Eidur and Javier Saviola.
"Eto'o will be back early in 2007 so it doesn't make sense to buy a striker." -
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mourinho shouldn't talk too much. make barca players more motivated only. that time valdes talk so much b4 stamford bridge in the end.....
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we will see if this is true laterOriginally posted by stellazio:mourinho shouldn't talk too much. make barca players more motivated only. that time valdes talk so much b4 stamford bridge in the end.....
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You have nice pictures... nou camp is a great looking stadium.Originally posted by anhydrouscoppersulphate: -
Line Ups Announced!
Barca
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Chelski
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Chelsea have drop shev again... i guess he is a little too slow for this game. May come in as a sub?
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Subs
Chelsea: Cudicini
, J.Cole, Geremi, Bridge, Ferreira, Kalou, SWP
Barca: Jorquera, Belletti, Giuly, Edmilson, Thuram, Saviola, Iniesta
No Sheva alright
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after he finally scores sheva gets rewarded by missing the game completely
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maybe he's not fully fit.Originally posted by zocoss:Chelsea have drop shev again... i guess he is a little too slow for this game. May come in as a sub? -
My guess is he would be on the sub bench more often than usual from now on... He is their weak link to be honest... Robben is a better player.
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waiting for them to start
