Conte: Chelsea must be ready to suffer at Barcelona
Chelsea must be prepared to “suffer” in Barcelona on Wednesday night if it is to have any chance of progressing to the Champions League quarterfinals, manager Antonio Conte said this week.
Barcelona scored a 75th-minute equalizer through Lionel Messi to cancel out midfielder Willian’s second-half goal in the first-leg clash between the teams at Stamford Bridge last month.
Conte said his team could face a more daunting task against the five-time European champion at the Nou Camp.
“We must be very good but when you play against this type of team, which I think is one of the best in the world, you must be prepared to suffer, in the same way we did in the first leg, where we were almost perfect,” Conte told the club’s website.
“This is not a [Chelsea] team with great experience, we have a lot of players who are playing their first or second season in the Champions League.
“But we have to work as a team and try to be ready to suffer the moments we have to suffer, and in every moment we have to know that we can have a chance to score.”
Barcelona dominated possession in the first leg but Conte’s side were unfortunate not to end with a victory after Willian was twice denied by the woodwork before halftime.
“Given our opponents’ ability to dominate possession, especially on home soil, we will also need to show plenty of patience and concentration in waiting for our opportunities and making the most of them when they arrive,” Conte added.
Meanwhile, Ousmane Dembele endured a rough start to his Barcelona career but the French winger appears to be finding his feet at a crucial time in the season.
Barcelona signed him in August from Borussia Dortmund for a then club record fee of 105 million euros ($129 million), plus a potential 40 million in add-ons, hoping he could replace Neymar after PSG had swooped for the Brazilian.
Two serious injuries limited Dembele’s participation until recent weeks, and even after he started playing regularly he was making little impact in matches.
In Barcelona’s 2-0 win over Malaga on Saturday, however, Dembele shone, setting up Philippe Coutinho with a brilliant turn and cross to draw praise from his teammates.
With Coutinho Cup-tied in the Champions League, Dembele could provide the flair Barcelona lost when Neymar departed, starting in Wednesday’s second leg against Chelsea.
Reports in Spain have suggested Neymar wants a return to Barca, which players including Ivan Rakitic and Coutinho have welcomed.
“It would be great for us if he came back and of course we would open the door to that possibility,” Coutinho said on Monday.
But coach Ernesto Valverde played down the speculation, describing it as a “fantasy”.
“We don’t know where it’s come from or where it’s going to end,” he said.
A Neymar return would upset the balance of the team which Valverde has found to keep Barcelona unbeaten in 28 La Liga games.
It would also block Dembele’s path, which seems ill-advised now the Frenchman is firing.
In Wednesday’s other match, Bayern Munich – on track for a sixth successive Bundesliga title, having gone 20 points clear at the top – travels to Besiktas in their return leg after having beaten the Turkish side 5-0 in the first leg. (Reuters)