UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Chelsea v Barcelona: Venue: Stamford Bridge, Kick-off: Tomorrow, 7.45pm On TV: RTÉ 2, UTV: BARCELONA DEFENDER Dani Alves has risked opening old wounds ahead of tomorrow's Champions League semi-final match with Chelsea after claiming the Catalans' controversial victory over the Blues three years ago owed less to the performance of the referee, Tom Henning Ovrebo, and more to the Premier League team lacking courage, being gripped by fear and playing long-ball football.
Barca return to Stamford Bridge to confront a Chelsea team still heavily reliant upon the key figures who featured in that 1-1 semi-final draw in May 2009.
Twelve of the 18 players in the London club’s match-day squad then overseen by Guus Hiddink, and beaten on away goals that night, remain at the club and will be eager to exact revenge upon the reigning European champions.
Memories of Ovrebo’s erratic performance still linger, the Norwegian official having turned down four plausible penalty appeals from the hosts. Yet Alves insisted Barcelona’s progress – secured courtesy of Andres Iniesta’s stoppage-time equaliser once the visitors had been reduced to 10 men – owed more to Chelsea’s failings.
“There is no doubt that was the hardest game we have played, with everything that was at stake, the moment and everything that happened,” Alves said. “People say Chelsea could have won but for the referee, but that is not our problem. We do not control the referees. We are there to try to reach the final. What can we do about the referee?
“Chelsea did not reach the final because of fear. The team that has got a man more, is playing at home and winning should have attacked us more. But of course if you don’t have that [attacking] concept of football that Barcelona have, you stay back and you get knocked out. You have to go forward. Stay back: losers. Go forward: winners. I think Chelsea lacked the courage to take a step forward and attack us. They paid for it.”
Alves admitted Barcelona’s players were surprised Chelsea had not played with more attacking ambition following Eric Abidal’s dismissal, and drew encouragement from their hosts’ approach.
“At that moment, we realised that they had renounced the game,” he said. “We realised that at 1-0 they were satisfied but they forgot that at 1-1 we were through and that is what happened. All they did is get the ball and get rid of it. Ball here, hit it long; ball there, hit it long. In other words they gifted us possession. And the worst thing you can do with Barcelona is give them possession.”
Chelsea go into this week’s match with Barca – which will be refereed by the German Felix Brych, who oversaw their eye-catching second leg success over Napoli last month – unbeaten in their last five matches against the Catalans and bolstered by nine victories in the interim first-team coach Roberto Di Matteo’s 12 games in charge so far, even if Sunday’s 5-1 win over Tottenham in the FA Cup semi-final came at a cost.
David Luiz will not feature against Barca after damaging a hamstring in the build-up to Spurs’ goal, while the Premier League club will continue to monitor the fitness of Didier Drogba (hamstring), Ashley Cole (ankle) and Ryan Bertrand (calf). Gary Cahill, who had been struggling with a foot injury, trained as normal yesterday and is expected to fill in for Luiz.
The Brazilian defender underwent a scan on his thigh yesterday with Chelsea fearing the injury could now leave him on the sidelines at a critical stage of the club’s season, though they will benefit from the return of Branislav Ivanovic, in the midst of a three-match domestic suspension after being charged with violent conduct, at right-back.
Drogba, whose furious post-match reaction to Ovrebo’s performance in 2009 earned him a three-game ban by Uefa, is confident he will be able to play tomorrow. “It was a few years ago, so things have changed, but the desire is the same,” said the Ivorian. “The desire to beat them is the same. It’s going to be tough, but we’re ready. We don’t just have bad memories of games against them. We have some good memories as well against Barcelona.”
Guardian Service
