Chelsea face Barcelona in a highly-anticipated Champions League showdownplaceholder image
Chelsea face Barcelona in a highly-anticipated Champions League showdown | Getty Images/ Canva
Chelsea return to Champions League action with a mouthwatering showdown against Barcelona at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea continued their strong start to the campaign with a routine 2-0 victory against newly-promoted Burnley at Turf Moor.
It was a positive result and performance which helped the team continue to outline their potential as title contenders as they climbed to second in the table, marking the team’s fifth match in a row in which they’ve avoided defeat throughout all competitions.
Chelsea have done all this without talisman Cole Palmer, demonstrating the strength in depth the team now have at their disposal as they aim to fight out for the big prizes after success in both the Conference League and Club World Cup in a productive end to last season.
The Blues believe they have what it takes to mix it with the very best this season, and are now presented with the perfect opportunity to test that theory as they go toe-to-toe with Spanish champions Barcelona.
But will Enzo Maresca stick with the team that got the job done against Burnley or make some tactical tweaks to try and unnerve the Catalan giants? Here we take a look at Chelsea’s most likely team for their home clash against Hansi Flick’s team.
Chelsea predicted XI vs Barcelona: goalkeeper and defence
GK: Robert Sanchez: He has made 15 appearances for Chelsea so far this season, 12 of which have come in the league. He’s shown improvements this season and has been much more steady between the posts with a joint-best seven clean sheets in the Premier League.
RB: Reece James: Chelsea skipper James is one of the first names on the team sheet when fully fit and he looks to be back to his best this term. A few feared the worst when he was subbed off at half time vs Burnley but Maresca insists the decision was made with this fixture in mind.
CB: Wesley Fofana: The Frenchman was one of several players to have been rested against Burnley to protect them from injury. He should be in contention to start this one.
CB: Trevoh Chalobah: Academy graduate Trevoh Chalobah is expected to retain his place in the heart of defence ahead of both Tosin Adarabioyo and Josh Acheampong.
LB: Marc Cucurella: The Spaniard was exceptional against Burnley last time out and has been very consistent throughout the campaign. He’ll have a big job to do defensively against Raphinha, but will also look to bomb forward when he can.
Chelsea predicted XI vs Barcelona: midfield and attack
CM: Moises Caicedo: The former Brighton gem was rested against Burnley with this fixture in mind after the international break. He’ll have a big job to do in the middle of the park if the Blues are to come out on top.
CM: Enzo Fernandes: The World Cup winner started and scored against Burnley to claim his fifth of the campaign across all competitions. He’s started the season in stellar fashion and is beginning to really live up to the big price tag the club paid for him nearly three years ago.
RM: Pedro Neto: The Portuguese international opened the scoring against Burnley to take his goal tally to four for the season. He’s been a real source of inspiration going forward this term and will be keen to prove himself against one of the very best teams in world football.
LM: Estevao: Brazil international Estevao could return to the starting lineup to replace Jamie Gittens despite his assist against Burnley. The teenager has looked really impressive since moving to Stamford Bridge and will hope to continue his push for a spot in the nation’s World Cup squad in North America.
ST: Liam Delap: Injury has prevented the former Ipswich Town man from really hitting the ground running after being signed to replace Nicolas Jackson. However, he’s back to full fitness now, meaning he’ll have a good run of games to prove what he’s all about.
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