Di Matteo: Barca fear Blues

Barcelona may be the greatest team the world has ever seen but Roberto Di Matteo has taunted the European champions ahead of tonight’s Champions League semi-final at Stamford Bridge by insisting they simply don’t like playing against Chelsea.

It may prove to be a high-risk tactic by the Chelsea caretaker manager but having restored the combative, direct style that Andre Villas-Boas attempted to change — with little success — there is a growing belief in West London that the brawn of Didier Drogba and the mental strength of Chelsea’s old guard could provide the Champions League with one of the biggest shocks of recent seasons.

On the face of it, the Blues, currently sixth in the Premier League and 25 points behind leaders Manchester United, have little or no chance of making their second final in four years given their lamentable form during the course of a difficult season that has seen Villas-Boas sacked, Frank Lampard dropped, John Terry stripped of the England captaincy and Fernando Torres hit a new low in front of goal.

But the stewardship of Di Matteo has changed things; because the Italian, steeped in Chelsea history as a player, has successfully returned the team to its roots, reinvigorated senior players and been rewarded with a run to the FA Cup final and the last four of the Champions League. Now he faces his biggest test, and interestingly, a man not famous for pre-match statements of intent decided it was time to change tack.

“They don’t like to play against us,” he insisted, referring to a record that has seen Chelsea secure three home victories over the Catalan club in the past, not to mention a string of hard-fought draws at the Camp Nou that haven often been brutal and almost always controversial.

“The results in the past show that. The way we play is maybe a bit more difficult for them to play against. We respect each other, both, but we’ve shown on many occasions we’re a team who can give them a lot of problems.

“The spirit in the group is very high, very good. I don’t think we could have had a better game on Sunday coming into this one than beating Tottenham 5-1 at Wembley. The confidence is good as well. We have a good history against this club, Barcelona, and in the Champions League. The players are very motivated.”

Pep Guardiola, possibly the most relaxed man in football, didn’t look too worried at the prospect but a jibe from Cesc Fabregas, the man who struggled to win at Stamford Bridge as an Arsenal player, seemed to pick up the baton.

The midfielder, who has only ever celebrated victory at the Bridge once in his career, said: “With Villas-Boas, they tried to have the ball a lot more, not play so many balls long and not seek out the second ball quite so much. Now they have returned to what made Chelsea great and led them to win the Premier League and cups and reach a Champions League final. They are now a team that have Drogba as a number nine — a player that brings the ball down well, is very quick, he is strong. They are a very, very dangerous team. They are like motorbikes now — faster, quicker to get the ball forward. Get after it and cause problems.

“I follow the Premier League every weekend and I have seen a lot of Chelsea this year. They have changed radically. They are playing incredibly well; I think this is their best moment of the season. With Villas-Boas they tried to change a bit but I think they are now the same Chelsea as I knew.”

It’s not a verdict that completely pleased Di Matteo, who was keen to point out his side are more than just a long-ball outfit; but if it’s an issue that gets under the skin of his opponents, he is unlikely to be too concerned.

“We think, over the last six weeks, we’ve improved gradually and every win has given this team more belief and self-confidence,” he added. “We have a fantastic squad with some quality players. With the players we have, we play the best way we can to get the best out of these players.”

Frank Lampard, too, the talisman of the old Chelsea, picked up on the theme: “We’re mixing the powerful, organised, disciplined game with very good attacking football. On our day, we can be a match for anyone. But we respect that Barcelona are not only the in form team now, but the dominant team of the last few years. So we have to be at our best, but also ourselves.”

It’s what makes the game so fascinating; beauty up against the beast.