Chelsea face a huge test of their Champions League ambitions as they take on Barcelona in the last-16 of the competition.
After winning the Premier League title in his very first attempt and reaching the FA Cup final, Antonio Conte had made it clear that he was at Stamford Bridge to do big things. Therefore, bigger things were expected from his Chelsea team in the coming seasons. The Blues head into the match on the back of their 4-0 win over Championship side Hull in the fifth round of the FA Cup.Chelsea currently lie 4th in the Premier League table, a point ahead of 5th place Spurs.With three wins, two draws and one defeat in the group stage, Chelsea finished above Atletico Madrid and minnows Qarabag.
It may be La Liga's other powerhouse Real Madrid that have dominated the competition in recent years, but it is the Catalans flying high this season.
Barcelona have lost just once in 2018—in the Copa del Rey against Espanyol—and hadn't tasted defeat in any competition since August when they suffered a loss against rivals Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup.
The Catalans have slipped up recently, with draws against Getafe and Espanyol, but they still have a healthy lead in La Liga and enter the second half of the European campaign with high expectations.
Team News:-
David Luiz and Tiemoue Bakayoko are both injury doubts for Chelsea.
Ross Barkley is also sidelined with a hamstring problem but defender Marcos Alonso is expected to return after missing the last two games.
Gerard Pique is likely to start for Barcelona after returning to the side last weekend but Thomas Vermaelen is a huge doubt.
Predicted Lineups:-
Barcelona: Ter Stegen,Vidal,Pique,Umtiti,Alba,Busquets,Rakitic,Iniesta,Dembele,Messi,Suarez.
Chelsea: Courtois,Cahill,Christensen,Azpilicueta,Moses,Alonso,Fabregas,Kante,Willian,Hazard,Morata.