Despite Chelsea tactical defensive success at Camp Nou, Guus Hiddink will have few wrinkles on his forehead ahead of Champions League return leg semi-final against Barcelona on Wednesday at Stamford Bridge.
"We are going to Chelsea to win, to attack and to qualify for the final in Rome -- Chelsea know that," Guardiola said.
The Catalan’s failure in-front of goal at home in the first leg made many football pundits to believe that the result would cause trouble ahead of Primera Liga clash at Bernabeu. But, they wronged everyone with a goal feast against Real Madrid in El Clasico, nearly ending La Liga title race.
The leaders were four points ahead of Juande Ramos side before coming to Madrid and if they have lost they could have found themselves in trouble as the gap would have shrunk to one point.
Lionel Messi once again was at the echelon of the Barca’s attack, scoring twice along with Thierry Henry who also sent the ball twice at the back of Iker Casillas, but the Frenchman would probably miss the clash at Stamford Bridge.
Barcelona’s emphatic away win would leave Chelsea contemplating over their tactics- either to play the same defensive football or go for attack on Wednesday to score a goal and seal their spot in the last two of the Champions League.
To attack would sound easy as Blues will be at home, if Hiddink chooses to play with an open defense unlike Tuesday, he would be providing Pep Guardiola’s men enough chances to score. Barcelona has so far attracted a lot praises and critics over their free-flowing football but Catalans are relishing its success.
Chelsea tactics has proved successful at Nou Camp, with ten men rounding off the box eluded Barca from taking the advantage but Hiddink would know he can’t sit at the back and wait for some nature’s interference to win against a merited side. He has to take the risk of playing two or three upfront.
However, if he still goes with the cautious approach Barca might not be unlucky to hit the back of the net.
Messi has already warned Chelsea after the 6-2 drumming of Real Madrid at Bernabeu that Barcelona will play the same football which they displayed in Real feast.
“We will play in the same way against Chelsea as we did against Real and, playing like that, we will have many chances. If we do things as we did on Saturday then we will score and go through,” The Sun quoted Messi, as saying.
Chelsea will be boosted by the return of Ashley Cole in the central defense to thwart Messi threat. In Cole’s absence Bosingwa managed to keep the Argentinean silent at most part the 90 minute but Hiddink believes the Champions League top scorer will bounce back.
After looking at Saturday’s La Liga game the Dutchman’s predictions could come true. If Chelsea try to be adventurous at the front, chances would get bigger that they get squandered by the trio of Messi, Henry and Samuel Eto’ o upfront and Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta in the midfield.
However, Balagurana’s woes at the back could come to haunt them at Stamford Bridge after Rafael Henrique got injured and ruled out for the rest of the season and skipper Carlo Puyol miss the second leg for a second bookings in the first leg.
The North London club’s successful record against the Spanish rivals in the Champions League would surely boost their confidence but the season so far is relatively different from past.
“We are going to Chelsea to win, to attack and to qualify for the final in Rome–Chelsea knows that,” Guardiola said.
The majority of neutrals would like to see Barcelona in the Rome final and a clash against Manchester United is a mouth watering prospect.
