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Chelsea needs two-goal win Vs. Barcelona
(AP)
Updated: 2006-03-07 10:47
LONDON - Chelsea needed a two-goal win over visiting FC Barcelona last year —
and got it. This year, the English champions need a similar result but will have
to score their goals on the road.
Chelsea's Frank Lampard shoots during a
training session at the Nou Camp stadium, Barcelona, March 6, 2006.
Chelsea are due to play Barcelona in their Champions League first knockout
round return leg soccer match on March 7, 2006.
[Reuters] | Barcelona hosts Chelsea on Tuesday in the second leg of the second round of
the Champions League. The Catalan team won the first game 2-1 two weeks ago.
"We can't be overconfident," Barcelona striker Lionel Messi said. "It
happened to us when we were leading 2-1 in last year's game. Chelsea has players
who can score two goals at any moment and we have to realize we have achieved
nothing yet."
Last year, Chelsea won the second leg 4-2 to advance with a 5-4 total.
On Tuesday, Chelsea will be without the suspended Michael Essien and Asier
del Horno — who was sent off in the first leg on Feb. 22 — and could be missing
midfielder Frank Lampard.
Also Tuesday, Werder Bremen travels to Italian champion Juventus with a 3-2
lead, and Villarreal hosts Rangers after a 2-2 draw in Glasgow.
On Wednesday, defending champion Liverpool hosts Benfica trailing 1-0, AC
Milan hosts Bayern Munich after a 1-1 draw, Arsenal hosts Real Madrid with a 1-0
lead and Lyon has a 1-0 advantage when it hosts PSV Eindhoven.
The anticipation ahead of the Barcelona-Chelsea game prompted FIFA president
Sepp Blatter to ask the game to take place "in a fair-play manner."
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho accused Messi of acting after being tackled by
Del Horno, who was sent off for the challenge.
Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole, who set up one goal and scored the other in
England's 2-1 friendly win over Uruguay on Wednesday, said a victory in Spain
would be "one of the great Chelsea wins."
Lampard missed the England and West Brom games with a hamstring problem.
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