Javier Mascherano, Roberto Di Matteo, Barcelona and Chelsea : Links to our Top 5 FCB News, Tuesday 17.4.12
Javier Mascherano warns Barcelona to forget Real game for Chelsea tie | Football | The Guardian http://ow.ly/ajQf0
Barcelona‘s Javier Mascherano has urged his team-mates to forget next weekend’s clásico against Real Madrid and think only of Chelsea before the Champions League tie at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.
The Catalans beat Levante 2-1 on Saturday night after two goals from Lionel Messi to stay four points behind Real Madrid, whom they face at Camp Nou this Saturday. Mascherano, however, is not giving the Real match any thought
The major change at Chelsea under Roberto Di Matteo has been the difference in the wide positions, stemming from a combination of the change of style, and the change of formation.
Andre Villas-Boas wanted 4-3-3 and lots of pressing – therefore the job of the wide players was to close down the full-backs, and they defended high up the pitch.
Barça haven’t won their last five matches against Chelsea | FC Barcelona http://ow.ly/ajQuQ
Memory can be selective. Barça’s record against Chelsea isn’t as successful as it would seem seeing that most recent memory in the Culé subconscious features Andrés Iniesta’s stoppage-time goal that gave FC Barcelona a ticket to the final of the Champions League in 2009. However, FC Barcelona haven’t beat the London side in their last five times attempts. The last Catalan victory over Chelsea was in the 2005/06 season, when FC Barcelona won their second ever Champions League title in Paris.
22 players named to the squad ahead of the Stamford Bridge clash | FC Barcelona http://ow.ly/ajQzH
Josep Guardiola has named 22 players to the Barça team for the Champions League semifinals. The manager named all 18 first-team players plus Barça B’s Oier, Montoya, Bartra and Tello to the squad for the match against Chelsea this Wednesday. Seydou Keita, who was given medical clearance to play this Monday, and Ibrahim Afellay, the first time the Dutchman has been named to a squad since his injury this past September, both got the nod from the manager.
En route to London | FC Barcelona http://ow.ly/ajQG8
FC Barcelona are currently en route to London to play the away leg of the Champions League semifinal against Chelsea. The Barça expedition left Barcelona this afternoon for England and they won’t return until Thursday. The team will arrive in London at 9 PM (local time) – one hour behind Catalan time.
Top 5 Barça Stories at Barçablog.com:
Paperli.PaperFrame.Show({
id: 1163945,
width: 642,
height: 900,
background: ‘#ECECEC’,
borderColor: ‘#DDDDDD’
})
