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On Tuesday, the return leg matches of the UEFA Champions League kick off, but instead of the usual four matches, today we will only see three - with "Inter" sharing a stadium with city neighbor "Milan" playing their match against "Ajax" next week.
Although most attention will likely be on the clash between "Barcelona" and "Chelsea" clubs, even more intrigue is expected in the other matches. As the match approaches, EuroFootball.com will briefly look at the situation in the team camps.
"Barcelona" - London's "Chelsea" (First leg 2-1)
John Terry's own goal and Samuel Eto'o's headed goal allowed "Barca" to clinch a victory in the first leg in London with a score of 2-1, giving them a significant advantage going into the return leg. Interestingly, last year "Chelsea" also had to overturn a one-goal deficit in the second leg, but then Jose Mourinho's men had an easier task - they had to do it at their own stadium.
Now, the Catalan team's coach Frank Rijkaard is confident that his team will avoid the failures of last season and advance to the next stage, while also demonstrating a respectable style of play. This was his reaction to the tension that built up between the teams before the match, which led to an aggressive encounter with "Barça" fans at the airport, where the visiting coach J.Mourinho was confronted by hostile fans.
"I have two dreams. As a coach, I want to win the match and advance to the next stage, but as a person, I think it's time to speak out against all kinds of aggression and bad behavior. I believe that the Barcelona fans can set an example of honorable play and welcome the departing Chelsea team and coach Jose Mourinho onto the field," said F.Rijkaard.
Meanwhile, J.Mourinho himself claimed that when he arrived in the Catalan capital, he did not accidentally appear first: "When I walked out of the airport first, I knew what I was doing. There was no pressure on my players, they were just signing autographs and taking pictures. I walked out first, and the angry men followed me. In the match, I will also be the first to step onto the field and will try to absorb the "good" emotions of the fans on myself, everything else will be left to the players."
The London team's coach also revealed his plans on how he plans to stop Lionel Messi, who caused many problems for Chelsea's defense in the first leg: "He will have to be marked by two players. It's impossible to do it with ten men, he has too much space. He dribbles excellently and if he manages to deceive one opponent, there must always be a second ready to neutralize the danger."
Although in the first match J.Mourinho accused the young Argentine of an act that sparked a lot of discussion, resulting in "Chelsea" defender A.Del Horno being sent off the field, according to Barcelona coach F.Rijkaard, this will not be a problem for the player: "Messi is not worried about it. In fact, it's an additional motivation for him. He is calm and ready for the match."
The 18-year-old super talent did not play in the Spanish league match against "Deportivo" over the weekend and after a rest will return to Barcelona's starting lineup, which will also include defender Rafael Marquez who has recovered from a minor injury. Meanwhile, "Chelsea" will be without Michael Essien and A.Del Horno due to disqualifications, and Glen Johnson who forgot his passport, while Frank Lampard, who strained a tendon, has successfully participated in training and will most likely be able to play.
Possible starting line-ups
"Barcelona" (4-3-3): Valdes; Belleti, Puyol, Marquez, Van Bronckhorst; Edmilson, Deco, Motta; Ronaldinho, Eto’o, Messi
"Chelsea" (4-3-3): Cech; Gallas, Carvalho, Terry, Ferreira; Makelele, Gudjohnsen, Lampard; Cole, Robben, Drogba
"Juventus" - Bremen's "Werder" (First leg 2-3)
After the fluctuating and dramatic match in Bremen, where goals were scored in the last minutes by "Werder" defenders Tim Borowski and Johan Micoud, the German club gained an advantage in the duel, but the two away goals give hope to Turin's "Juventus" team, who just need a narrow victory at home.
Juventus coach Fabio Capello is pleased with the return of defender Gianluca Zambrotta, Johan Zebina will also play in defense, David Trezeguet in the attack after recovering from injury, but Robert Kovac, who suffered a knee injury, will not be able to play, and the situation with Zlatan Ibrahimovic remains unclear. The "Werder" team also has good news in defense - defenders Frank Baumann and Naldo have recovered.
Possible starting line-ups
"Juventus" (4-4-2): Buffon; Zebina, Thuram, Cannavaro, Zambrotta; Nedved, Vieira, Emerson, Camoranesi; Del Piero, Trezeguet
"Werder" (4-4-2): Wiese; Fahrenhorst, Naldo, Baumann, Schulz; Owomoyela, Borowski, Micoud, Frings; Klasnic, Klose
"Villarreal" - Glasgow's "Rangers"
After a 2-2 draw in the first match in Scotland, the intrigue remains in the clash of the two debutants in the knockout round, but the clear favorite is the inspired "Villarreal" led by team captain Juan Roman Riquelme, who are at home and only need a draw.
The situation for the "Rangers" team is complicated by the fact that Croatian player Dado Pršo, who has the most Champions League match experience, should miss the match due to a yellow card. It will be clarified before the match if Tunisian player Hamed Namouchi can play, while Thomas Buffel and Peter Lovenkrands are nursing minor injuries. "Villarreal" has fewer problems - captain Quique Alvarez has returned to the team, with the only question mark being Argentine Juan Pablo Sorin, who has a calf injury.
Possible starting line-ups
"Villarreal" (4-4-2): Viera; Venta, Rodriguez, Alvarez, Arruabarrena; Josico, Senna, Riquelme, Tacchinardi; Jose Mari, Forlan
"Rangers" (4-4-2): Waterreus; Hutton, Rodriguez, Kyrgiakos, Smith; Burke, Hemdani, Ferguson, Buffel; Lovenkrands, Boyd
