Juventus vs Chelsea

[Badboy 1,526]

I've got a bad feeling about this...

Why ?

[Badboy 1,526]

I've got a good feeling bout this! We're finally finding some form

Laugh out loud WHY ?

[Kez 2,727]

I think i just said.. We're finding form

[mokhan 0]

try the formation 4-4-2 diamond with Kalou and Drogba in front.

Mikel-Essien-Ballack-Lampard in midfielder. the formation will be strong in the midfield and dominant to keep the ball

[Fulham Broadway 16,393]

I've got a good feeling bout this! We're finally finding some form

Wish some of that would rub off on me...cant help thinking it could end in tears, the crowd will influence it, and Buffoon will do some good stops..

That said, if we score cant see them getting three...

[Aesthetic Relic 301]

I've got a good feeling bout this! We're finally finding some form

Someone told me on another forum that we havent won away since Rosenborg 2007. I havent been arsed to look it up yet, but i find that staggering considering we got to the final last season.

If we score they need 3.......I do feel we will score. They know they'll potentially need 3 goals, so if they sit back and hope to keep it tight it will be of no benefit to them as they know one goal from us will effectively kill the tie.

[EskWeston 696]

This will be a very tough game for us no doubt about it. But i do fancy us to score at some point which then puts massive pressure on Juve. I am fairly confident of us progressing through to the next round.

[Para6iT 2]

Dont know why, but I have a strong feeling that we will win this time. (Am i too over confidenc.lol.) I'm agree with mokhan formation 4-4-2 might be helping and now with essien back in the squad I hope we could beat em. I predict final result will be 2-1. Victory for Chelsea.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

Someone told me on another forum that we havent won away since Rosenborg 2007. I havent been arsed to look it up yet, but i find that staggering considering we got to the final last season.

If we score they need 3.......I do feel we will score. They know they'll potentially need 3 goals, so if they sit back and hope to keep it tight it will be of no benefit to them as they know one goal from us will effectively kill the tie.

That's because we haven't lost a home game in Europe since 2006... our form at the Bridge has got us to the semis.

[Shane 2,275]

Ranieri managed Chelsea between 2000 and 2004

Juventus boss Claudio Ranieri says an early goal is imperative if his side are to overturn a 1-0 deficit against Chelsea in the Champions League.

Ranieri will start with Alessandro del Piero and David Trezeguet up front for Tuesday's tie in Turin.

"We need a goal right away," said the former Blues manager. "We need to play like we know how and score goals.

"Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink has had some great results but sooner or later he'll have to lose."

Ranieri added that he would be looking to the Stadio Delle Alpi faithful to be his side's 12th man.

"English clubs can struggle on the road," he said. "Our fans really need to give us a hand."

Chelsea, who have won all five matches under Hiddink, failed to win away from home in this season's group stage, drawing at Bordeaux and CFR Cluj and losing 3-1 at AS Roma.

Hiddink has vowed that his side will not be sitting back and protecting their lead in Turin.

"It's always nice to have a clean sheet," said the Dutch coach. "That's very important.

"But if you just wait in the second leg and hope not to concede, willing not to concede a goal and not have any initiative in the game, you will have a lot of problems.

"So, whenever we can, the team must attack. It's in their character. We've not come here just to defend. That would be asking for trouble.

"At this level, it's tight. Our game at Stamford Bridge was tight. Tomorrow it will be too.

"When you are in this period in Europe, I don't want to talk about luck but you have to force luck a little bit."

Juventus have not lost their last 13 home matches in the Champions League, recording 10 wins and three draws.

However, Juve were eliminated by English clubs in their last two appearances, by Liverpool in 2005 and Arsenal the following season. The 1985 and 1996 champions sat out the last two seasons following the Italian match-fixing scandal.

[chelsea blue 615]

TEAMS Juventus v Chelsea

Juventus: Buffon, Chiellini, Mellberg, Iaquinta, Del Piero, Nedved, Trezeguet, Marchisio, Grygera, Molinaro, Tiago. Subs to follow.

Chelsea: Cech, Bosingwa, Alex, Terry, A Cole, Mikel, Essien, Ballack, Lampard, Anelka, Drogba. Subs to follow.

[BahrainiBlue 32]

TEAM NEWS Juventus v Chelsea

Juventus must do without former Liverpool midfielder Mohamed Sissoko who has broken a bone in his foot and they make four changes in total from the first leg, with Claudio Marchisio, Zdenek Grygera and strikers David Trezeguet and Vincenzo Iaquinta coming in. Chelsea hand a first start since August to Michael Essien, and he and Nicolas Anelka replace Florent Malouda and Salomon Kalou.

Edited March 10, 2009 by Adam.k

[chelsea blue 615]

TEAM NEWS: JUVENTUS V Chelsea Posted on: Tue 10 Mar 2009 Michael Essien makes his first start since August on the right of a front three that includes Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka.

The Ghanaian has not started for the Blues since rupturing a cruciate ligament on international duty in early September, but came through half an hour against Coventry on Saturday with no problems reported.

Essien did start on the right wing against Lokomotiv Moscow in pre-season, a game in which he scored a superb left-footed volley before being withdrawn.

Anelka has been passed fit after recovering from a toe injury, while Ricardo Carvalho and Deco are on the bench.

Elsewhere the side is unchanged from the side that won in the Midlands at the weekend, Florent Malouda and Salomon Kalou drop to the subs' bench.

Juventus coach Claudio Ranieri has opted to start with three recognised forwards in Alessandro Del Piero, David Trezeguet and Vincenzo Iaquinta, but as Chelsea fans will know, the Italian is hard to read when it comes to tactical decisions.

Tiago and Pavel Nedved also start, while there is a place in defence for Czech international Zdenek Grygera.

Chelsea will line-up in a 4-3-3 formation as follows:

1 Petr Cech

José Bosingwa

33 Alex

26 John Terry ©

3 Ashley Cole

13 Michael Ballack

12 John Mikel Obi

8 Frank Lampard

5 Michael Essien

11 Didier Drogba

39 Nicolas Anelka

Substitutes: 40 Hilario, 6 Ricardo Carvalho, 42 Michael Mancienne, 35 Juliano Belletti, 15 Florent Malouda, 21 Salomon Kalou.

Juventus are expected to line-up in the following 4-3-3 formation:

Buffon; Mellberg, Chiellini, Grygera, Molinaro; Marchisio, Tiago, Nedved; Del Piero ©, Iaquinta, Trezeguet.

Subs: Manninger, Zebina, Salihamidzic, Poulsen, Ariaudo, Amauri, Giovinco.

The referee is Alberto Mallenco from Spain.

Edited March 10, 2009 by chelsea blue

[Kez 2,727]

YES NO FUCKING MALOUDA!

[Shane 2,275]

Looking at the team line ups, We will score, and win. They are far far too old.

[Steve 10,227]

Ahh Nervous Anyone?

[Bandicoot 3]

I've had a strange feeling about this game all day, I think we are going to witness one of our best displays in the CL tonight.

Really really really really pleased that Malouda is dropped, Essien comes back into the team and he will be really up for this match.

Just hope it dont go all tits up and we end up on the wrong end of a result.

[.Cee 50]

Disappointed Stoch isn't on the bench again.

Oh, I really hope Stoch is the 7th person benched.

Edited March 10, 2009 by .Biru