Chelsea vs. Barcelona: 5 key matchups

Chelsea host Barcelona in the first leg of the Champions League knockout stage on Tuesday. Here are five matchups that’ll decide the result.

After weeks of anticipation, the Champions League knockout stages are finally upon us. Among the top notch round of 16 ties is Chelsea against Barcelona. The history between the two makes this tie even more interesting. The last time the Blues and Barca met in the Europe was 2012, when the English side prevented Barca from reaching the final. Barcelona and Chelsea represent two of Europe’s biggest clubs, but who has the edge? Here are five matchups which could shift the tide heading into the second leg at Camp Nou.

Marc-André ter Stegen vs. Thibaut Courtois

What would a fantastic Champions League fixture be without two world-class keepers? Marc-André ter Stegen and Thibaut Courtois represent two of the world’s finest on two of the world’s biggest clubs. In 49 total league matches, the two keepers have combined for 27 clean sheets — which isn’t simple in La Liga or the Premier League. Both currently sit second in their league’s golden glove races as well.

Ter Stegen and Courtois could both be busy in this match, though. Courtois is tasked with containing one of the world’s most prominent attacking fronts, which includes Lionel Messi. He’ll need to have the match of his season if Chelsea want any chance of advancing. While it may seem as if ter Stegen has the easier of the two tasks, that’s hardly the case. He does have the better defense in front of him, but Chelsea aren’t to be taken lightly. Despite Chelsea’s dip in form lately, the attack is still world class and finally healthy. Very seldom do great attacks get shut out for two legs — there will be goals — but who lets in fewer?

Chelsea vs. round of 16

It seems as if Chelsea have an unfortunate history within the Champions League round of 16. While that hasn’t always been the case, it’s been the tale lately for the Blues. Over the course of the Blues’ last two Champions League appearances, they’ve found themselves eliminated in the round of 16 each time, both losses coming to Paris Saint-Germain. Will this year be any different?

Due to the recent form of both squads, Chelsea head into the fixture heavy underdogs. Recent history favors Chelsea in European competitions against Barcelona, but the Spanish side will be looking to recreate what they did in 2005-06 and knock Chelsea out of the competition. Can the Blues break through into the Champions League quarterfinals for the first time in four years, or will Barcelona hand Chelsea a third-consecutive round of 16 exit?

Eden Hazard vs. Gerard Piqué and Sergi Roberto/Nélson Semedo

It’s no secret Chelsea have been in inconsistent form lately, losing by three goals to Bournemouth and Watford, before wins against West Brom and Hull. The Blues have been all over the place, but there’s been one bright spot through it all: Eden Hazard. If there’s one thing Barcelona fans didn’t want to hear heading into the round of 16 tie with Chelsea, it’s that Hazard’s in banging form. At his best, Hazard’s a world-class player with Ballon d’Or potential.

Over the course of the last month, Hazard’s netted six goals with one assist. He recently scored a brace against West Brom and a stunner against Watford. While Chelsea may have struggled in those matches, Hazard’s been the light at the end of the tunnel. Now with Olivier Giroud in the lineup and Alvaro Morata healthy, Hazard’s been given the luxury of some attacking help up front.

However, in order to score against Barcelona, he’ll have to get by one of the best defenses in the world. Gerard Piqué is fit for the clash with Chelsea, which is great news for Barcelona fans. The 31-year-old is one of the world’s best and most experienced center-backs. He’s played a vital role in keeping clean sheets against the likes of Juventus and Real Madrid this season alone, but who will line up next to him? Truth be told, it hardly matters. Whether it’s Sergi Roberto or Nélson Semedo, both have big game experience. Roberto brings more to the table on the attacking front, but they’re both solid in the right-back position.

Hazard will look to find some space and will at times, but how well can the Barca back line contain the Belgian? Stopping Hazard is crucial to stopping the Chelsea, after all, as most of their attack runs through him.

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Barcelona attack vs. Gary Cahill

Although the Barcelona attack has been a bit off lately, it’s still one of the most prolific front lines in the world. The names Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez tell you everything you need to know about Barca. When they’re on their game — which they usually are on the biggest stages — very few opponents can compete with the Spanish side.

Meanwhile, the Chelsea defense has been shaky — at best — as of late. The absence of Andreas Christensen has hurt the Blues tremendously, but he looks healthy for the Blues’ bout with Barca. The Blues have two of the Premier League’s top defenders at their disposal in Christensen and César Azpilicueta, but the left center-back position is an area of weakness. Following a 3-0 away win at Chelsea, Bournemouth players revealed their game plan, which worked to perfection: attack straight at Gary Cahill. The Chelsea skipper has been incredibly poor this season, from the opening match against Burnley to the Bournemouth battle.

So if Bournemouth can tear apart the Chelsea defense by going straight at Cahill, what can Barcelona do? That’s exactly the thing Chelsea fans are worried about. If Cahill doesn’t shape up or if the Barcelona attackers take a page out of Eddie Howe’s book, the Blues are toast. Barcelona will likely aim most of their attacks directly at Cahill, how Chelsea respond will ultimately decide the match.

Lionel Messi vs. history

Lionel Messi is one of the greats. However, he’s never netted a goal against the Blues. Surprising? Absolutely. He’s come as close as seeing a penalty rattle the post, but has never found the back of the net. While a goalscoring history against one team can hardly take a toll on a player as good as Messi, his history with Chelsea has driven him to the edge. Following a shocking defeat at Camp Nou in 2012, Messi was seen crying by teammate Alexis Sanchez as Barca failed to reach the Champions League final.

Messi will have his chance at revenge for the first time since 2012, when Barcelona travel to Stamford Bridge for the round of 16 first leg. Further, Messi claimed some of the men in the Barcelona changing room hate Chelsea. So much so, they prefer Real Madrid. The 30-year-old has had some historic bouts against the London side throughout his years and has noted he will always respect the competitiveness of the club. Could his goalscoring drought come to an end during the first leg? Will Messi finally get his revenge on the Blues? Only time will tell.