UCL Draw Thread

[Cosmin 2,484]

Better than against PSG, worse than against Besiktas.

However, we have our chances. 

[Blusan Alamb 295]

 

[cfcs most wanted 657]

Not bad I should say, perfect chance to show the world we are not to be taken lightly

[KevinAshburner 1,270]

The only way Chelsea can beat Barcelona with our current squad is if Barcelona players all pickup hamstrings and injuries during la liga until we play them.

[Tautvix 1,321]

We always step up against Barca. We could lose ofc but I don't think we will lose without giving a real go.

[yuvala 2,167]

Think we'll really give them a fight. 

Lets see how good our form is come February..

[Cosmin 2,484]

Hope we'll play against them like we did against Atletico in the first leg.

We need Hazard and Morata to be 100% up for this tie.

[Kieran. 6,317]

If we're in good form in February then we have a shot. Sucks how it was 50/50 Besiktas or Barcelona and we got Barca though.

[Belgiannutt 3,201]

2 key points will decide how we do against them. 

1 How well we handle their attack, primarily how do we handle Messi.

and 2 how do we handle their heavy press. If we're able to escape their press and can get Hazard running at them we should be able to cause them problems.

In order to beat them we're gonna have to be at our best though. 

Morata would have to bury any chance he gets, Hazard is gonna have to run at them like a madman and defensively we're gonna have to be near perfection to stop them from scoring.

Won't be easy but i'm quite pumped for this tie.

[MrExcalibur100 7,124]

2 minutes ago, Cosmin said:

Hope we'll play against them like we did against Atletico in the first leg.

We need Hazard and Morata to be 100% up for this tie.

Not to be negative or anything but there's no way that's going to happen. Barcelona and Altetico are nothing alike. As I'm sure you know, Barcelona are great at dominating the ball. 

 

[MrExcalibur100 7,124]

Realistically speaking I give us like a 30% chance of winning the tie max. I'm expecting a lot of blind optimism posts akin to what I saw about our transfer window last summer. Unfortunately such posts have little to do with reality. 

[xPetrCechx 13,570]

WTF 

[cfcs most wanted 657]

If we manage to get a wing back and possibly a midfielder we are good to go. There are always gonna be some problems with the team, but we have to work it with the squad we have got. We have a good squad now, a few changes and we are ready to fight against the top teams. It happens every season that, us, Tha fans have some problems with the squad and transfers, but we really need to stop this negativity, this is the same squad that won the EPL last year. Is the players show some real fight, they can beat any team of this world

[Beigl 1,387]

4 minutes ago, xPetrCechx said:

WTF 

We should just rest most of our players against City, if we manage to get a good result against Barca in the first leg. 

[petre.ispirescu 4,928]

Can't be fooling ourselves here, truth is our only chance of going through was drawing Istanbul. 

In or out of form Barcelona or the fact that they are not the same like a few years ago, it simply does not matter - we are not good enough and our tactics fit the high pressing teams like a glove. 

Five at the back works for the short term and never against the big teams. And this is a fact. And to complete the misery - Cahill is one of the centre backs and there is no decent full back in Chelsea's squad.

I'm always the optimist, but I truly fear this is the tie where Hazard decides there is no point in extending that contract and forces a move elswhere. Same goes for Courtois.

Why I am saying this? Because not only we have a poor back line (bar Azpi and Christensen), but if we're going to play five at the back with Marcos Alonso, Cahill, Moses/Zappacosta there, not only we'll be unable to string two or three consecutive passes, but Hazard and Morata will be feeling so isolated upfront, they'll wish they'd have been left on the bench rather than having to chase shadows throughout the two legs.