Barcelona have released 18-men squad list that will travel to London to play Chelsea. Philippe Coutinho is cup-tied and Nelson Semedo is suspended.
Antion Conte aims to stop Lionel Messi from scoring against his side, but admits it’s useless to man-mark the Argentinian. The Chelsea boss has also said: “Barca are favourites to win this competition, but they can have weaknesses without the ball.”
Andres Iniesta has backed Luis Enrique to reach success at Chelsea if he takes charge of club: “He is a great coach. When you see what Enrique developed in Barcelona, then I think it is also possible in London.”
The referee of Chelsea-Barсa (2009) remembers one of the most controversial matches in the history of the Champions League: “It was not my best day, really. But those mistakes can be committed.”
Marc-Andre ter Stegen acknowledges the importance of Neymar’s four years at the Camp Nou but says Barca’s new signings have made the Liga leaders a stronger team overall: “Now we have a very, very strong team.”
Cüneyt Çakir will officiate Chelsea-Barcelona. The referee has overseen the second leg of the clash between the two clubs in 2011/12 when Barca were eliminated. He also was the main official of Barcelona’s successful Champions League final against Juventus in 2015 (3-1).