Chelsea and Barcelona meet at Stamford Bridge in a game that honestly feels bigger than the table says. After rounds of football in the Champions League, neither side has really settled into their rhythm yet, making this encounter one to watch as it is unpredictable.
Softfootball had earlier reported that Barcelona’s Marcus Rashford surprisingly returned to training after that illness scare. Interestingly, he has actually made the trip, though nobody seems totally sure yet. Anyway, both teams come in level on points but with completely different vibes around them.
Barcelona posted a video of their team arriving in England via their official X account, and with just a day till the D-day, it’s safe to say everything is set for a massive encounter.
Watch the video below:
Match Preview
Chelsea’s last Champions League game didn’t go smoothly, as they struggled to a 2-2 draw against Qarabag. The game wasn’t exactly what the fans expected, and honestly, they were a bit lucky to get the point after Garnacho bailed them out, hence the expectation for the players to deliver against Barca.
Their away form has been shaky, but at home they’ve been much better, almost surprisingly so. Benfica and Ajax both got handled pretty comfortably. And when you realise Chelsea haven’t lost a European group-phase match at home since 2019, it puts the pressure straight back on Barca.
In the league, things have gone almost the opposite direction, quite steadily. Three wins in a row, all clean sheets, and a calm 2-0 win over Burnley at the weekend. The team is still incredibly young, 50 straight PL games without starting a 30+ player, but somehow they look composed in big spells.
Barcelona, meanwhile, had their big emotional moment when they finally returned to Camp Nou after more than two years away. They smashed Athletic Bilbao 4-0 like they were trying to make a statement. Ferran Torres got two, Yamal was brilliant again with two assists, and Lewandowski basically just scored like he does every other weekend.
The clean sheet probably mattered even more to Flick, though, because it’s their first one in 11 matches and the first following the return of reliable goalie Joan Garcia.
But their Champions League journey has been messy. The 3-3 draw with Club Brugge was chaotic and exposed the issues with their high line again.
Barcelona usually find a way to score, but defending in Europe is becoming a bit of a gamble every single match. Their record at Stamford Bridge isn’t great either, only one win in their last seven visits, even though they did beat Chelsea 3-0 the last time they met back in 2018.
Team News
Reece James being taken off at halftime caused a bit of panic, but Maresca later said it was planned. Fofana wasn’t included at Burnley for protection, which can mean almost anything, but he’s expected back. Tosin was excellent last match and honestly looks too good to drop.
Injuries are still a problem, though. Lavia, Palmer and Colwill are all out, and Mudryk is still serving his long doping suspension; it’s almost a year now, which feels strange to even think about.
Alejandro Balde took a knock to the head and had to come off, but early updates say he’s fine and should play. Rashford is a maybe, depending on how he wakes up on matchday probably. Raphinha got some minutes at the weekend, which Flick will see as good timing.
De Jong is back from suspension, but Barca are missing Pedri, Gavi and ter Stegen, huge absences that you can’t really cover cleanly.
Possible Lineups (4-2-3-1)
Chelsea (4-2-3-1)
Sanchez; James, Adarabioyo, Chalobah, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Neto, Pedro, Garnacho; Delap
Barcelona (4-2-3-1)
J. Garcia; Kounde, E. Garcia, Cubarsi, Balde, Casado, De Jong; Yamal, Lopez, Torres; Lewandowski
SoftFootball’s Prediction
This one feels unpredictable. Chelsea are stronger at home and usually calmer in Europe when playing in London, but Barcelona have moments where they suddenly explode creatively. Their defence still looks shaky, though, and might cost them again. Chelsea do not fully convince either, especially when they go behind.
Softfootball predicts Chelsea 3–3 Barcelona
