Chelsea and Barcelona go head to head in the Champions League on Wednesday evening for the seventh time in just over six years, and the Blues will be out for revenge following their elimination from the competition at the semi-final stage in 2009.
Both teams head into their latest last-four clash in good form, although it is the Spanish outfit who have looked the most impressive in recent weeks.
Under Roberto Di Matteo, Chelsea have taken eight points from their last four league games and booked their place in the FA Cup final thanks to a resounding victory over Tottenham on Sunday.
Barcelona, meanwhile, are hot on the heels of La Liga pace-setters Real Madrid and have taken maximum points from their last five league appointments to keep the pressure on Jose Mourinho’s men, scoring 14 goals in the process and conceding just two.
Barca defender Dani Alves believes that their opponents must show must courage if they are to book their place in the final but, at odds of 4/1 to win the first leg, they aren’t fancied to overcome their alleged fears.
The Catalans are 8/11 to take the advantage with them back to the Nou Camp and 6/1 to scrape an away goal and come away with a 1-0 win.
There hasn’t been more than a single goal between these two teams when they have met on the last six occasions and, with both sides looking confident at the back in recent weeks, that particular scorecast is certainly worth your consideration.
A 0-0 draw is available and 10/1 and is another selection that offers great value. Barca could not find a goal in their first-leg clash with AC Milan in Italy and they may find it tough to find the net at Stamford Bridge, despite the continued imperious form of Lionel Messi.
But if there are to be goals on Wednesday evening then expect that man Messi to be at the centre of any misery the Catalonian giants are able to pile on Chelsea.
The Argentinian maestro is priced at 5/2 to score the first goal on the night and is the closest thing to a safe bet as you’re going to find in the goalscorers market.
A Messi strike and 1-0 Barcelona win is available at 14/1, which seems fairly generous, while a Messi goal and 1-1 draw at the end of the first leg is 16/1, which again seems a little too kind.
Should Chelsea get on the scoresheet then expect Fernando Torres to be pulling out all the stops to impress against his fellow countrymen. The Spaniard’s problems finding the net this season have been well-documented, but at 9/4 to score at any time he is certainly worth thinking about.
Torres’ team-mate Drogba is available at the same odds, while Essien, who scored a screamer against Barca when the two sides met at the Bridge in 2009, is worth a punt at 13/2 to repeat the feat and score anytime.
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Chelsea and Manchester City enter the last chance saloon on Sunday as their Premier League title challenge comes to a head at Stamford Bridge. For the winner it could be the start of a last tilt at top spot and for the loser, they can kiss any hopes they had of league success goodbye.