Chelsea vs Barcelona
Today is the day.
At Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night, Chelsea host Barcelona in the Champions League.
The sides meet in the last-16. After the first-leg in west London, the clubs will meet in the Camp Nou in two weeks time.
How will Chelsea line-up?
The Times on Tuesday have predicted how the sides may line up tonight.
Perhaps the biggest question for Chelsea is how their attack will look against Barcelona.
Alvaro Morata has only just returned to action after another spell on the sidelines.
The Spaniard had missed matches with reports of a back injury. At the same time, Olivier Giroud has joined from Arsenal, while the French international opened his Chelsea account scoring in last weekend’s FA Cup win over Hull.
Indeed, against Hull, Giroud seemed to work well with Eden Hazard and Willian.
Could that trio be used in combination again against Barcelona? Not according to the Times.
They believe that Morata, who has a good record of scoring goals in the Champions League, will start in attack against the Catalans.
Times predicts: Chelsea vs Barcelona
Looking around the rest of the predicted Chelsea XI, perhaps the other shock is that there’s no room for Willian in the team. It’s believed that Pedro could start ahead of the Brazilian.
And how will Cesc Fabregas fare alongside N’Golo Kante in midfield? Is that strong enough for Chelsea to win the midfield battle, which is sure to be crucial tonight?
On the Barcelona side of things, the Times suggest that Paulinho will be in the starting XI. There have also been suggestions that Andre Gomes could start instead of the Brazilian.
Of course, Philippe Coutinho is ineligible to play for Barcelona have previously played for Liverpool in this season’s UCL.
Also see: Cesar Azpilicueta: ‘Andres Iniesta is not welcomed at Chelsea’.
Chelsea vs Barcelona predictions: Champions League preview, line-ups & football betting tips.