LET’S MESS WITH MESSI

Fabregas claims Chelsea’s best chance of upsetting Barca is to make life uncomfortable for Spanish giant’s superstar

CESC FABREGAS has warned Chelsea must do everything in their power to unsettle Lionel Messi and put him off his game.

For the former Barcelona midfielder, stopping Messi is key to Chelsea’s Champions League hopes tomorrow night. And as well as the showdown with the Argentinian, Fabregas says he will feel even more motivated as he is up against his former Nou Camp team-mates. “If I’m lucky enough to play, it’s true we’re positioned in nearby areas of the pitch – stopping him will be difficult but I’ll try to do everything possible so he feels uncomfortable and can’t put together a perfect performance. I see him as a rival who wants to win, and I want the same thing.

“We’re in different teams and each player wants what’s best for their own club.

“I don’t mind playing against my past, against my friends. I like it, the feelings have always been positive ones. I did it with Arsenal and now with Chelsea, I’ve felt pretty good on both occasions.

“It doesn’t bother me to play against my previous club or old friends, it motivates me. As I said I’m really motivated, I want nobody to doubt I want the best for my current club. In fact, it gives me extra motivation.”

Fabregas is also confident Chelsea can pull off an upset and claims they work harder on tactics than he ever did in training at either Barca or Arsenal.

The Blues are underdogs, with Barca having an away goal – courtesy of Messi (right) from the 1-1 draw in the first leg at Stamford Bridge. It was the first time he had scored against Chelsea.

But if Antonio Conte’s men can repeat the 2-2 draw of 2012 on their way to winning the Champions League it will take them through.

Fabregas said: “We must work together and take advantage of our opportunities, to play our game. I’ve trained tactically more at Chelsea more than anywhere else and you can see that on the pitch.

“We must start the match with a positive outlook because if we don’t, we will struggle. That has to be the mentality with which we go into this match.

“We can’t start at the Camp Nou with a negative mindset, it must be the opposite, we have to enjoy this big match. This will be a complicated match for us for sure.

“To go 90 minutes in the Camp Nou is a massive ask for any away team, but we are prepared and looking forward to the challenge.”

Fabregas is not sure if he would celebrate should he score tomorrow, but insists he is be determined to stop Messi and Co.

He added: “Honestly, I haven’t thought about it at all. I’ve only scored two goals this season and it’s been a while since my last goal.

“There are feelings at such a moment you can’t predict, I can’t definitively say I won’t celebrate, but it’s unlikely. “I don’t think I’ll get many chances due to the position I play. You never know in football and I hope it can happen, but I haven’t thought about it.

“My return to Barcelona isn’t important. The game between Chelsea and Barca is all that matters.”