4 reasons why Chelsea will beat Barcelona in the Champions League

Barcelona are unbeaten in the league although their performances haven’t been as convincing as in the past. They might have the upper hand over the Londoners in the current scenario, but there are a bunch of points that will help the Blues stay positive over the prospect of beating them.

That being said, let’s see four reasons why Antonio Conte’s men can pull off an upset in the round of 16.

History never really says goodbye, history says ,’See you later.’

They might be the better side at the moment, but Barca players need to understand the importance of this aforementioned quote by Eduardo Galeano. They will surely be walking down the memory lane of their miserable past in the tie.

In the last five games against Barcelona, Chelsea have won twice and drawn thrice. Barcelona have failed to win against them since March 2006, albeit they did trounce them on aggregate, eventually winning the competition that year. Chelsea’s stellar performance against the Spanish giants means they have a psychological edge over Ernesto Valverde’s men.

Even in the recent meetings in 2012, the Blues caused an upset with 10 men at the Nou Camp, not to mention a 1-0 shocker in the same edition at home.

They might not be having the best days of their life, but their history against Barca gives Conte’s men an undeniable right to stay optimistic prior to the fixture.

#3 Barcelona’s away form

Barcelona are almost impossible to beat when it comes to playing them at the Nou Camp. However, the story is far from the same when they play away from their home.

Let’s consider the club’s away form in the Champions League. Barca have won once and drawn twice in the three away games in the group stages.

Also, when it comes to playing big games as visitors this season, the Catalans haven’t been quite impressive. Since the start of the season, they have played Real Madrid, Valencia, Atletico Madrid and Juventus away from home. In the 6 away games that they have played, Valverde’s men have won only twice, lost once and drawn thrice.

Barcelona’s intermittent away form should serve enough advantage for Chelsea to turn up optimistically for the clash.

The story of Lionel Messi’s curse against Chelsea is no secret to the football world. As good as he is against other sides, the Argentine maestro has failed to prove himself against Chelsea on multiple occasions.

In the eight games he has played against the Blues, the Blaugrana forward has failed to score even once from 29 attempts on goal! He also had his penalty denied by the woodwork back in April 2012; the miss proved fatal as Barca crashed out of the Champions League while Chelsea eventually won the competition.

Keeping Leo Messi quiet will be a challenge, but definitely not impossible for Antonio Conte. He has Gary Cahill and David Luiz in his ranks – the duo who successfully held him at bay in 2012. Certainly, he can count on his trusted defenders to do the same, can’t he?

#1 Chelsea’s strong areas