Di Matteo: We have the quality to beat Barcelona to reach the final

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Roberto Di Matteo

Ahead of the ‘Super Tuesday’ UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg match between Barcelona and Chelsea at Camp Nou interim manager Roberto Di Matteo is confident his side can defeat Barcelona away to reach the prestigious final.

Di Matteo’s side has the daunting task of knocking Barcelona out of the Champions League to reach the finals after the Catalan suffered an away defeat last week at Stamford Bridge courtesy of Didier Drogba’s saving lone goal but this time it will have to be at Camp Nou.

This is Chelsea’s sixth Champions League semi-final in nine years in what has proved, as yet, a fruitless pursuit of a trophy craved by their owner, Roman Abramovich. With the team sixth in the Premier League, their ability to qualify via the league is in doubt.

Yet, when asked if they can prevail despite Barça being unbeaten at home in 15 European games and go on to claim the silverware, Di Matteo said: “We do have the qualities within this team. Away from home, as we’ve seen in the past, you need a bit of luck to be able to do well in a competition like this. But, certainly, we have the quality and the squad at Chelsea.

“I do think we’ll have to try and score a goal. That would give us a greater chance. It’ll be difficult just playing for a goalless draw because, ultimately, Barcelona would create chances against every team they play. So we’ll try and limit the chances they can create against us.”

Chelsea will confront a team who were condemned to a second successive defeat by Real Madrid on Saturday and are facing up to the reality that they will most likely lose their La Liga title. The strain of those setbacks appeared to show on an unusually prickly Pep Guardiola on Monday night, with the manager’s selection of Cristian Tello in el clásico openly questioned.

Barcelona have not lost three matches in a row for nine years, though there was a warning from Barcelona’s manager over the threat posed by Chelsea, who will wear white shirts – their fourth strip – at the Camp Nou à la Real Madrid.