Barcelona/Chelsea pt 4

Here is a rundown of the players likely to be playing tonight, and the influence they may have on the game.

Valdes: He is one of those goalkeepers who is called a "good shot-stopper", which tells you all you need to know. Dodgy on crosses, untrustworthy with the ball at his feet, and undoubtedly Barcelona's weakest link. Could end up costing them a regretful away goal or two.

Alves: I like my previous description so I'm going to stick with it - a defender who enters his own half reluctantly. I honestly don't know if Alves is a good defender, but he is excellent going forward. The finest crosser of a ball I've seen since Beckham, his is a threat that is difficult to stifle. Bosingwa may stick to Messi like glue, but that will only mean more room for Alves to scythe through Chelsea territory.

Marquez: An excellent distributor of the ball and a clean tackler, but severely lacking in pace. There was a foot race between him and Toni in the last round and I swear it looked like they were both going backwards. If Drogba, or even Malouda, can get a run at him then don't be surprised to see them breeze by him as if he wasn't there.

Pique: Reminds me a bit of Senderos. That's not a good thing, especially when Drogba is around.

Abidal: If ever a defender relied on his pace alone, it's Eric Abidal. He tends to stay back much more than he used to which works in Barcelona's favour for two reasons: 1. He was never much good going forward, and 2. Barcelona need his pace at the back.

Toure: Your standard holding player really, whose height is important when it comes to defending set pieces. His role in tonight's game may be more as creator however, because when it comes to Barcelona players being singled out by Chelsea for special attention, I expect Toure to be somewhere near the bottom of the list.

Xavi: If man-marked by Essien I expect him to be peripheral for much of the game. If not, then Chelsea will not be seeing much of the ball, whereas Alves and Messi will. How well Xavi plays is generally a good indication of how well Barcelona play. I will be extremely interested to see how Chelsea handle him.

Iniesta: May well be the difference maker tonight. With all the attention focused on stopping Messi, Eto'o and Henry, I expect Iniesta to have an influential game, and he is more than capable of producing the goods. If pitted against Essien then perhaps he can be shut down, but marking Iniesta is a whole different proposition to marking Gerrard. It's about time for people to cease from labeling Iniesta "under-rated" and to start labeling him for what he is - one of the best players in the world.

Messi: His decision making still isn't perfect, but almost everything else is. A joy to watch, and will cause the slow Chelsea centre-halves a world of pain when he cuts inside.

Henry: Some people say he is back to his best. I disagree. He has lost much of his speed, which for a player like Henry is crippling. He is of course still a threat, and he works hard for the team, but I expect him to have a quiet game tonight and to be the first to make way.

Eto'o: Unreliable at this level. His finishing is too erratic, and he gives the ball away cheaply far too often. I expect him to let Barcelona down, much like he did this time last season. And also, if he was as good as he thinks he is -- and as good as most people think he is -- why would Barcelona want to sell him? Simple - there are better options out there.



Cech: A great penalty save at the weekend aside, it is no secret that Cech has not been the same man after getting kneed in the head by Hunt. He is the better of the two goalkeepers on display tonight, but that's not exactly saying much. However, I don't think Barcelona play the kind of football that will cause Cech the maximum amount of difficulty. High punts into the box is not Barcelona's style, nor are they particularly threatening from set-pieces, and so Cech may prove to be a valuable asset for Chelsea when it comes to stopping Eto'o's hit and hope piledrivers.

Ivanovic: I haven't seen much of this guy, but two goals against Liverpool from corners suggests he's a threat in that department. Of the two Chelsea full-backs he will certainly have the easier task, although Iniesta does tend to stay on that side of the pitch, meaning Anelka may be forced to do things he isn't particularly good it. Don't be surprised if much of Barca's threat comes down Chelsea's right hand side.

Alex: Good in the air, but against Barcelona that will only count at the other end of the pitch.

Terry: See above. If I were a Chelsea fan I would be worried about the lack of pace at centre-half. Eto'o may not be a lot of things, but he is definitely quick and can get in behind quite easily. Messi will drift in field more often than not, and can even be the front man for Barcelona with Eto'o shifting right. Will Terry and Alex be able to deal with such movement and pace? I have my doubts.

Bosingwa: He says marking Messi is "no problem". I beg to differ. Keeping Messi quiet won't be sufficient for beating Barcelona, but it will be necessary. Bosingwa will need all the help he can get, and then some.

Essien: Perhaps Chelsea's most important player tonight. I don't know what Hiddink is going to do with him, but it is the effectiveness of Essien that will either swing this tie in Chelsea's favour or lead to an onslought of epic proportions at the hands of the mighty Catalans.

Ballack: A big man for the big occasion in the past, this could be Ballack's swansong, or more likely, it could be the night when it all comes crashing down for him. "His legs are gone" as Dunphy would say, and against Barcelona you could do with three or four well-functioning legs, not to mention two. I expect him to give away a lot of fouls and generally look off the pace, but as with most Chelsea players he poses a considerable threat in aerial confrontations.

Lampard: I'm not his biggest fan, but Lamps has been impressive all season...except in most of the big games. A question mark still looms large over his head when it comes to imposing himself on this kind of occasion. His habbit of scoring goals may come in handy, but if Chelsea are not to be overrun in midfield for 90 minutes they need Frank to put his foot on the ball once in a while and keep possession. I'm just not sure he's up to the task on nights like this.

Anelka: I don't like Anelka. I don't think he's much good, and I wouldn't be surprised to see either him or Malouda make way for Deco/Kalou of the grounds of them being a bit rubbish during the game.

Malouda: I don't like Malouda. I don't think he's much good...etc etc.

Drogba: An absolute beast of a player. If you were to swap Drogba for Eto'o I wouldn't think twice about selling all of my possessions and staking the money on a Barcelona win. Should Chelsea see enough of the ball then Drogba could come away with a brace. The Barcelona defense will simply not be able to handle him if they are on the back foot. He is Chelsea's match winner, and if they are going to get a result tonight I have little doubt that Drogba will be at the heart of that triumph.


With all of that said, here is my prediction: 3-3. I can't see anything but goals, goals, goals, and I honestly can't wait for this game.