This week, the UEFA Champions League will continue with the quarter-final matches. The most intriguing clash will take place at the "Stamford Bridge" stadium, where London's "Chelsea" will host "Barcelona". In addition to this matchup, there will be a duel between Munich's "Bayern" and "Besiktas". Both matches will start at 21:45 Lithuanian time. The "EuroFotball.lt" portal will review the day's games - the clash between the "Chelsea" and "Barcelona" clubs. Results of the Teams The favorite in this pairing is considered to be the Catalan club, which has shown excellent form this season. Recently, "Barca" has had some problems in the Spanish league, but their advantage over other teams is such that they can even lose several games in a row. "Chelsea" recently fell into a pit - losing two consecutive matches to mid-table teams in England by three goal margins, but the last two matches have positively influenced both Antonio Conte and the team's fans. In those two matches, the "Blues" triumphed over "Hull City" with a score of 4-0 and defeated "West Brom" by one goal difference. In total, in the last five matches, the London team lost twice and celebrated victories three times. On the other hand, "Barcelona" in their last matches defeated "Eibar" with a score of 2-0, although they had difficulties in attack. The Catalans have almost no problems with defense this season, but recently Ernesto Valverde has not been pleased with the offense - they have scored only six goals in five matches. Valverde should not have major concerns about his players - "Barcelona" has not suffered a single defeat in the "La Liga" this season. In their last five matches, the Catalans celebrated victories three times and played draws with "Espanyol" and Madrid's "Getafe". Group Stage "Chelsea" started their journey towards the quarter-final stage from Group C, where they fought against "Roma", Madrid's "Atletico", and "Qarabag". The "Blues" were in the first position for quite some time, but in the last round, they lost points and remained in the second position, giving way to "Roma". In total, in the six matches, the "Blues" achieved three victories, played draws twice, and lost once to the mentioned "Roma" team. Throughout the group stage, A. Conte's team scored 16 goals and conceded eight. Apart from the only defeat, "Barcelona" also showed similar results in Group D, leaving behind Turin's "Juventus", Lisbon's "Sporting", and Piraeus' "Olympiakos". The Spanish vice champions collected 14 points in the group stage - four wins and two draws. The attack of "Barca" was not the best either - reaching nine goals, but only conceding one goal in their own net. Team News Neither team has major losses for these matches - "Barca" will not have Thomas Vermaelen and the suspended Nelson Semedo, while "Chelsea" will be without Ross Barkley, and by the coach's decision, David Luiz and Tiemoue Bakayoko will be left in the team's cover. There should not be any surprises in the starting lineups - Ernesto Valverde will rely on his usual eleven, which includes Paulinho, while A. Conte should bring back Alvaro Morata to the starting position, who played for the first time after a back injury on Friday. There are still doubts about A. Conte's chosen tactics - playing with three midfielders or opting for Willian/Pedro's performance on the pitch alongside Alvaro Morata and Eden Hazard. It is predicted that the coach will choose an attacking plan with Pedro and Hazard more from the sidelines. Predicted starting lineups: "Chelsea": (3-4-3) Thibaut Courtois; Cezar Azpilicueta, Andreas Christensen, Gary Cahill; Victor Moses, Cesc Fabregas, N'Golo Kante, Marcos Alonso; Pedro, Eden Hazard; Alvaro Morata. "Barcelona": (4-4-2) Marc-Andre ter Stegen; Sergi Roberto, Gerard Pique, Samuel Umtiti, Jordi Alba; Ivan Rakitic, Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta; Paulinho; Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez. Interesting Facts The last time these two teams competed in the Champions League was in the 2011-12 season. "Chelsea" fought against the Catalans with an overall result of 3-2 and advanced to the tournament final, where they later triumphed. Since the year 2000, "Chelsea" and "Barcelona" have played 12 times in the Champions League. So far, the London team has had better results in these clashes - four wins, five draws, and three losses. Lionel Messi, who scored only three goals in the Champions League group stage, still remains the biggest threat to "Chelsea" - overall, the Argentine has scored 27 goals and made 15 assists this season. "Barcelona" should be wary of Eden Hazard, who has recently been playing some of the best football of his career - 15 goals and four assists this season. Four out of the last five matches between the teams ended in draws. "Chelsea" and "Barcelona" matches in the Champions League do not become goal feasts - in the last seven meetings, the three-goal mark was crossed only twice. The last time "Chelsea" played against a Spanish club in the Champions League knockout stages was in the 2013-14 season. The attempt to reach another final for the "Blues" against Spanish champions was unsuccessful - Madrid's "Atletico" surpassed the English representatives with an overall result of 3-1. "Barcelona" visited England not so long ago - in the previous season's group stage, they faced a 1-3 defeat at "Manchester City's" stronghold. The Catalan team has won 13 out of 23 knockout matches against English clubs. The loss in the semifinals in 2012 against the same "Chelsea" was the only defeat for the multiple Spanish champions in the last seven knockout clashes with English teams.
