Messi hopes to be ninth time lucky
Chelsea’s Conte faces team selection dilemma
LONDON: As unlikely as it sounds, Lionel Messi is still waiting to score his first goal against Chelsea after drawing a blank in eight previous Champions League matches.
The five-time World Player of the Year gets another chance to break his duck this week and Chelsea manager Antonio Conte believes the past will count for little when Barcelona visit Stamford Bridge today.
“I hope we maintain this tradition but we are speaking about a fantastic player,” Conte said ahead of the last-16, first-leg Champions League game.
“The most important thing is the present. We must have great respect but at the same time we must be excited to play this type of game and take on this type of challenge. It won’t be easy because we know very well this player, we are talking about one of the best in the world.”
The teams have produced some epic games in the past although they have not met in the Champions League since Chelsea pulled off a remarkable backs-to-thewall semi-final victory over Barcelona on the way to winning the trophy in 2012.
Messi missed a penalty in the second leg at the Nou Camp as the London club overcame the first-half dismissal of captain John Terry, and a 2-0 deficit, to draw the game 2-2 and secure an unforgettable 3-2 aggregate win.
Bayern Munich host Besiktas in today’s other game while tomorrow sees Manchester United travelling to Sevilla, and Shakhtar Donetsk playing host to Roma.
Two weeks ago, the prospect of a Chelsea win over Barca would have been unthinkable after Conte’s men had slumped to successive defeats by two of the Premier League’s lesser lights.
The London club were still smarting from a 3-0 home loss against Bournemouth when they travelled to Watford and succumbed to an embarrassing 4-1 reverse.
Chelsea have got back on track since then, though, easing past West Bromwich Albion 3-0 in the league last Monday before swatting aside second-tier Hull 4-0 in the FA Cup four days later.
Conte have several selection dilemmas. He must choose between captain Gary Cahill and Antonio Rudiger for a place at the back, and between Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud up front.
Cesc Fabregas will also be desperate to play against his former team but may have to settle for a spot on the bench.
Barca have lost only once in 38 matches this season since falling in the Spanish Super Cup to Real Madrid in August.
They have a seven-point lead at the top of La Liga and have reached the final of the Copa del Rey.
Messi is having another stellar campaign, scoring 27 times in all competitions, and he helped set up two goals in Saturday’s 2-0 win at Eibar.
Messi will team up with Luis Suarez while Philippe Coutinho is ineligible for Barca following his move from Liverpool.
BAYERN V BESIKTAS
Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes must decide which of his in-form attacking midfielders should play.
Arjen Robben shone for the runaway Bundesliga leaders in Saturday’s 2-1 win at Wolfsburg but Thomas Mueller could take his place on the right, with James Rodriguez coming in to partner Arturo Vidal, having been rested at the weekend.
The victory means Heynckes has won 21 out of 22 games since returning to Bayern as coach.
Besiktas surprised many by advancing from a group featuring Porto, Monaco and Leipzig.
FIXTURES
(all kick-offs 2.45am Thai time) Chelsea v Barcelona, Bayern Munich v Besiktas
Tomorrow
Sevilla v Manchester United, Shakhtar Donetsk v Roma