Football Media

Weserstadion, Bremen
Thursday 30 April 2009 – 20.45CET (20.45 local time)
Matchday 12 – Semi-finals, first leg

With Werder Bremen coach Thomas Schaaf’s 48th birthday falling on the day his side take on rivals Hamburger SV in the first leg of their UEFA Cup semi-final at the Weserstadion, there are no prizes for guessing how he would like to celebrate.

‘Big emotions’
Having already won their German Cup semi-final against HSV last week, the first of four meetings between the two teams in the space of 19 days, the intention is to carry that momentum on to the European stage. “My wish is that we play well, control the match and that the supporters get behind us,” Schaaf said ahead of the seventh all-German semi-final in the competition. “I hope we can keep up the good run we’ve had in the UEFA Cup. It’s an all-German semi-final which means big emotions for the supporters. Both teams know how important this derby match is.”

Tenth anniversary
Though the skies over Bremen are grey, the mood in both camps was bright as the northern cities count down the minutes to the second instalment of this four-part drama which concludes three days after the second leg in the Bundesliga. For Schaaf the significant dates are coming thick and fast. He celebrates his tenth anniversary as Bremen coach on 9 May and what better way to mark the occasion than by taking Bremen to the final in Istanbul against either FC Dynamo Kyiv or FC Shakhtar Donetsk. “That would be great, but being here ten years doesn’t matter, what’s important is to get this team to the final,” he said. “To do that we have to work very hard and play well in both games.”

Morale high
Bremen have lost at this stage three times before and the tie represents the chance to salvage a disappointing season. Mid-table in the Bundesliga, their German Cup win on penalties over Hamburg raised morale which was further boosted by a 3-2 victory over VfL Bochum 1848 on Saturday. Hamburg have been enjoying a terrific season in the league and are only three points off the summit. Their cup exit, however, was followed by defeat at BV Borussia Dortmund and coach Martin Jol knows his side must quickly regain momentum.

Good teams
“We’re happy to be in the semi-final,” he said. “It’s very good for the club and the players want to get to the final, but we haven’t won anything yet. It’s normally an advantage if you play your first game away, but we have to see if it turns out to be better for us. I think the chances are 50-50. They are both good teams and both have a good chance to advance.”

Barren run
Jol will be without injured striker Mladen Petri? and defender Marcell Jansen, but welcomes back Alex Silva. Bremen are missing defender Petri Pasanen though midfielder Frank Baumann is expected to be fit. Hamburg, beaten finalists in 1982, have not got this far in European competition since winning the European Champion Clubs’ Cup in 1983, a barren run Jol is determined to end. As for Schaaf’s birthday, the Dutchman insisted his generosity would not be stretched too far. “What do you want to hear, that I’m going to give him a trip Istanbul?” The joking ends on Thursday.

Mathijsen calls on Hamburg to bounce back
Defender Joris Mathijsen believes Hamburger SV’s German Cup defeat at the hands of local rivals Werder Bremen will serve as added motivation ahead of their UEFA Cup semi-final first leg at the Weserstadion on Thursday.

Motivation
Hamburg were knocked out on penalties in the semi-finals of the German Cup, the first match in a sequence of four meetings between the Hanseatic rivals in 19 days. Mathijsen, though, is expecting a positive reaction from his side in round two. “We lost the cup game last week and now we are extra motivated for the match tomorrow,” said the 29-year-old.

‘Good chance’
The UEFA Cup ties come in the thick of the Bundesliga race as Hamburg, three points off the top, chase their first title since 1983 and Mathijsen called on his side to ensure an excellent season ends on a high. “A lot of the younger players think these kind of chances come often, but when you are older you realise that it might only come once and I try to explain this to them. The fact is we want this title. A chance like this might not come again.”

Mertesacker confident
It is the 27th all-German UEFA Cup tie and both sides have met domestic opposition in this competition before. Bremen indeed have lost at this stage to German rivals, falling in the last four in 1987/88 to Bayer 04 Leverkusen who also knocked out Hamburg, finalists in 1982, in the last 16 last season. Bremen have reached the UEFA Cup semi-final on three previous occasions without reaching a final, but defender Per Mertesacker is confident this time they are ready to go one step further.

Second step
“It has not been a great season for us and it is not enough to be in tenth place, but I hope we can take motivation from the German Cup and maybe win the UEFA Cup,” he said. Bremen seem to have the momentum in their favour having followed up that victory in Hamburg last Wednesday with a thrilling come-from-behind 3-2 victory over VfL Bochum 1848 on Saturday. “It was important for us to take the first step in the German Cup, but it is up to us now to take the second step in the UEFA Cup,” Mertesacker added. “This second match will be important for us but we have to take it game by game and then we will see. The players on each team know each other and it will be very interesting.”

Focus
Seven Bremen players are within one booking of a one-match and three from Hamburg, but Mertesacker does not believe it will affect the way they approach Thursday’s game. “I don’t think about that and the other players won’t either because we have to play with focus,” he said.

Valeri Lobanovskiy, Kiev
Thursday 30 April 2009 – 18.30CET (19.30 local time)
Matchday 12 – Semi-finals, first leg

Yuri Semin was quietly confident as he looked ahead to FC Dynamo Kyiv’s UEFA Cup semi-final meeting with domestic rivals FC Shakhtar Donetsk as expectations mount in Ukraine – but it will not stop him making his usual pre-match pilgrimage to request a little extra help.

National importance
Such is the heightened interest in this match that thousands turned up when tickets were made available a fortnight ago, the game selling out within two hours. There is a buzz about Ukrainian football not witnessed, according to local commentators, since Valeriy Lobanovskiy guided a Dynamo team spearheaded by Andriy Shevchenko to the 1999 UEFA Champions League semi-finals. “There is huge expectation around the country,” said Semin ahead of what will be the Bilo-Syni’s sixth last-four tie in European competition, Shakhtar’s first. “It’s creating a big clamour. We’re at a serious level now.”

Dynamo advantage
The smart money is on Dynamo. Sunday’s 1-0 victory against FC Kharkiv extended their winning run at home in domestic competition to 12 games, and left them 12 points clear of second-placed Shakhtar at the Premier League summit with just five fixtures to go. Roman Eremenko missed the Kharkiv match, and while Semin said he will be available to face Shakhtar, Guilherme’s hopes of a timely UEFA Cup debut have been ruined by a thigh injury. The tactician was less eager to discuss what he does have to hand, however. “I’m not going to talk about our strong points; I want them to be a surprise. That said, both teams know each other so well,” said the 61-year-old Russian. “I expect a tough, proper game and we must remain cool, clear our heads.”

Solace
To gain lucidity himself, Semin will make his usual trip to the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery to pray, even if history suggests his side will not need too much outside assistance. They have traditionally enjoyed the upper hand against Shakhtar, especially at home, though they do not need reminding that one of their three league defeats this season came away to the Pitmen in November. Shakhtar coach Mircea Lucescu believes that meeting, not the sizeable gulf in points accrued, paints a more accurate picture of the levels the teams are at. “Dynamo’s advantage is misleading,” he said. “This tie will show the real difference.

Lucescu lift
“The match will be extraordinary for Ukraine and the whole of Europe will be watching so it’s vital for both clubs. We will try to demonstrate the kind of football the UEFA Cup semi-finals deserve,” continued the Romanian who, while free of injury concerns, admits he will have to “bear in mind” the five players a yellow card away from a ban. The Ukrainian titleholders claimed a fifth successive victory in all competitions against FC Chornomorets Odesa at the weekend, and with his son, R?zvan, appointed Romania coach on Wednesday, Lucescu has much to celebrate. He hopes for more after next week’s second leg, the second of four meetings with Dynamo inside a month, but also has nobler ambitions: “I hope we produce a tie that would befit the Champions League. By the end of it I’d like to see both sets of players shake hands and be happy for each other.”

Srna sets Shakhtar’s defensive foundations
With “a new chapter in the history of Ukrainian football being written before our eyes”, FC Shakhtar Donetsk’s ever-dependable captain Darijo Srna has warned his team-mates that now is not the time to lose their footing.

Tension and commitment
Before this season no Ukrainian team had ventured as far as the UEFA Cup quarter-finals but, in its final edition before making way for the UEFA Europe League, they seem intent on making up for lost time. While FC Dynamo Kyiv saw to FC Metalist Kharkiv in the last 16, the Bilo-Syni and Shakhtar have marched on, and as they prepare to meet in the semi-finals, the former Soviet state is guaranteed representation at May’s Istanbul showpiece. “These Ukrainian derbies are always special but this time it’s even more so as it’s the UEFA Cup semi-finals,” said Srna. “The tension and commitment will be even bigger than the national championship.”

Defensive aim
Only last summer, with reported interest from Liverpool FC, Srna underlined his own commitment to the cause in Ukraine, adding that he wanted “to win something great with Shakhtar”. He may not have to wait long, though Dynamo provide formidable opposition. Almost home and dry in their attempt to regain a Premier League trophy which has resided in Donetsk for three of the past four years, the Kiev team have been irresistible at times this term, with an obvious strength: they have scored 61 league goals; Shakhtar are joint-second with 38. “My main wish for the game [in Kiev] is for Shakhtar to score and not concede. We must not concede,” Srna stressed. “We really like attacking but we’re also strong at the back, and don’t concede much – we must ensure Dynamo’s strikers don’t get a sniff.”

Lucescu praise
Even by the high standards Srna has set since arriving in Ukraine from HNK Hajduk Split as a marauding wing-back in 2003, this season has been one to remember. The 26-year-old, whose surname means ‘deer’ in his native Croatia, has been one of the main beneficiaries of coach Mircea Lucescu’s decision to reduce squad rotation, finding a level of consistency that makes any retraction of the ploy almost impossible. “Once I was deliberating whether to include him and Srna told me, in no uncertain terms, he wanted to play,” admitted Lucescu. “His presence on the pitch unites the team. He’s a real captain.” Indeed, like a real captain he did not abandon his ship last summer; he may soon have his reward.

Sabli? focused on task at hand
While a place in the UEFA Cup final means the stakes are high in his side’s last-four tie with FC Shakhtar Donetsk, Goran Sabli? insisted FC Dynamo Kyiv need to approach it as they will the league and Ukrainian Cup games that swiftly follow.

Dual dominance
Dynamo and Shakhtar hold something of a duopoly in Ukraine. Although SC Tavriya Simferopol claimed the inaugural league title in 1992, the trophy has been under lock and key in either Kiev or Donetsk ever since. The pair have formed the top two – as they do with five games remaining this term – for the last 12 years yet Sabli? dismissed the notion that a European meeting with provide a different proposition. “Shakhtar are still Shakhtar, regardless of where we play them,” said the central defender. “It does not matter if it is the league, the [Ukrainian] Cup or UEFA Cup they are the same team.”

‘Golden Match’
Not that the two sides’ familiarity detracts from the European tie, with little to split the teams, and while the capital club have the edge in terms of head-to-head encounters and silverware, the Pitmen have held sway over the past few seasons. Indeed, the arguments among fans flow one way and then the other. Dynamo are 12 points clear in the league this term but they lost away to Shakhtar in November and they will want no reminding of the so-called ‘Golden Match’ between the pair at the end of the 2005/06 campaign after the sides finished level at the summit, an extra-time Julius Aghahowa goal sealing a 2-1 victory – and the title – for Shakhtar.

Rewards
“We are determined to play at our best, to prove our worth,” said the 29-year-old Sabli?, who is making up for lost time at Dynamo having spent last term on loan at HNK Hajduk Split, his side still in the running for three trophies. Dynamo need four points from the last five league games to secure the championship, with their last match against Shakhtar, their Ukrainian Cup semi-final opponents. “This is the UEFA Cup semi-finals; it’s very important and the rewards are high. Crucially, we are playing at home first up and it will be important that we win on the night, but if not, we must not concede.

Old Trafford, Manchester
Wednesday 29 April 2009 – 20.45CET
Matchday 11 – Semi-finals, first leg

Sir Alex Ferguson believes Manchester United FC’s UEFA Champions League showdown with Arsenal FC has all the ingredients for the “perfect semi-final”.

Spectacle to savour
The two most successful clubs in English football over the past two decades will square off for the first time on the European stage in Wednesday’s first leg and the United manager envisaged a spectacle to savour. “Looking at the tie itself and the players on view you almost think this a perfect semi-final,” said Sir Alex. “It is full of terrific footballers, both teams play good football and it could be that way. I hope we play fantastic football and that we win. I respect Arsenal’s ability to play good football too. They won’t change. They will do exactly what they normally do and have a go.”

‘Something special’
Arsenal struck four goals at Liverpool FC in a thrilling 4-4 draw last Wednesday and their manager Arsène Wenger said his team “have enough belief to think we can deliver something special” at Old Trafford. While United are closing in on a third successive domestic title, the UEFA Champions League represents Arsenal’s only hope of a first trophy since 2005 but Wenger, noting his charges’ 20-match unbeaten Premier League run, added: “We believe that we’re going from strength to strength and that is important at this period of the season.”

Away goal
After seeing United fall two goals behind at home to Tottenham Hotspur FC before fighting back to win 5-2 on Saturday, Wenger reflected that the Premier League leaders “can concede goals”. Despite the absence of the cup-tied Andrei Arshavin and injured Robin van Persie, he intends to send out his players to get them. “The modern rules encourage the team at home to be cautious and the away team to be audacious. That is why I believe to score an away goal will be very important for us.” Sir Alex did not disagree. Stressing the need to for defensive vigilance, he said: “That may be the key to it. We need to win without losing a goal and I would be delighted to win the game 1-0. But it won’t be decided tomorrow, I feel sure of that.”

Fitness doubts
Arsenal’s defensive prospects are not helped by doubts over defenders Mikaël Silvestre (back) and Kieran Gibbs (ankle) – the former’s fitness worries meaning a possible start for Johan Djourou. But Sir Alex’s thoughts were on the threat the Gunners posed via wide attacker Theo Walcott – “probably the quickest forward in England” – and the “wonderful” Cesc Fàbregas who may reprise the second-striker role in which he hit two goals against Middlesbrough FC on Sunday.

Admiration
The two managers have been fierce rivals over the last 13 years but ahead of this first continental showdown, the Frenchman spoke of their mutual admiration. “We have better relations now than before. We are survivors. There is respect there.” Wenger has one more victory in their head-to-head meetings while Sir Alex has won their two previous semi-final duels. “Ourselves and Arsenal over a long period have certainly been the dominant forces in English football,” said Sir Alex. Now European supremacy is at stake.

Shot at history keeps Van der Sar focused
As a man who has savoured UEFA Champions League triumphs with AFC Ajax and Manchester United FC 13 years apart, Edwin van der Sar has seen just about everything the competition has to offer. But there is something new the 38-year-old Dutchman could yet achieve – namely to become part of the first team to retain club football’s most coveted prize in the modern era.

Confidence
Van der Sar went close with Ajax when Louis van Gaal’s titleholders reached the 1996 final against Juventus only to lose on penalties. The final that year was in Rome and with the big goalkeeper just a step away from returning to the Eternal City for this year’s showpiece, he underlined his confidence that this United side have what it takes to succeed where Ajax failed 13 seasons ago.

‘Better equipped’
“I think this side is much better equipped than we were with Ajax in ’96,” he said on the eve of United’s semi-final first leg against Arsenal FC. “We had a lot of injuries, a lot of young players who had to fill gaps that were left by older players who had injuries and suspensions. So definitely. I won’t say this is a bigger chance for me but we are better equipped to regain the trophy.”

Sir Alex aim
The last club to retain the prize were AC Milan, European Champion Clubs’ Cup winners in 1989 and 1990. Sir Alex Ferguson admitted he only learned this fact in the direct aftermath of last season’s final. “When we won it last year that point was made at the press conference afterwards that no team had ever defended the trophy. I never knew that and I said to myself, ‘It would be great if we could be the first ones to do that’. We are good at winning things for the first time and maybe that is a good omen for us.”

‘Stakes are high’
United made history as the first English team to enter the European Cup and the first to win it – not to mention the first English treble winners under Sir Alex. To get to another final, of course, they must first get past Premier League rivals Arsenal. “It is not just a Premier League game, it is a semi-final,” said Van der Sar. “There is no question about that – the stakes are high, we want to reach Rome and both teams will do everything to make sure they are going to be there.”

Defensive importance
If they are to better Arsenal, Van der Sar warned United would need to be at their best defensively against opponents who beat the champions 2-1 in north London in November. United have conceded twice in three of their last four games at Old Trafford – including Saturday’s 5-2 defeat of Tottenham Hotspur FC. Van der Sar said: “Of course the whole team were not happy with the way we conceded on Saturday. It is important to make sure we keep them from scoring tomorrow.”

Patient Wenger puts faith in Arsenal ability
Six months shy of his 60th birthday, Arsène Wenger may still be waiting for his first European trophy but there is no sign of the Frenchman’s faith wavering. “I am an optimist, you know. I believe I will win it and the sooner the better,” said the Arsenal FC manager, 24 hours before sending his team out for the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final at Manchester United FC.

Determination
It is four years since Arsenal’s last trophy under Wenger – an FA Cup won on penalties against United – and the UEFA Champions League represents their final chance of claiming silverware this term. Yet Wenger’s determination to overcome United and reach Rome stems from a much deeper source – the desire to finally be able to place a tick in the box titled European Champion Clubs’ Cup winner.

Final regret
“That is why we are here and that is why we are very, very determined to wipe that out,” he said. “It has never been done by the club and I want this pool of players to do it for the first time.” In ten previous campaigns with Arsenal, the closest Wenger has come was the 2006 final defeat by FC Barcelona – “The only regret we have from that day was we played with ten men” – and this is only their second semi-final.

Mental strength
A slow start to 2008/09 meant Arsenal failed to mount a Premier League title challenge yet Wenger believes the Gunners have matured since losing last season’s quarter-final to Liverpool FC in the final five minutes.”The team is mentally strong and very determined and maybe because we have gone through a difficult period, it helped the team, which is very young, to grow. This team is a different animal to last year, mentally especially.

‘Something special’
“We have built a young team because we wanted to develop a special way of playing, a special spirit. We think when the players have been educated together from the age of 16-24 there is something special that I hope will come out at this level of the competition.” Sir Alex Ferguson, once a fierce rival, applauded this commitment to youth when he said of Wenger on Tuesday: “He has kept his principles always the same and that is great credit to him.”

Vision
The Arsenal manager is working within a different budget to the other three semi-finalists but underlined he would not alter his approach in any way. “We have gone for a different way to build our team, it is not better or worse,” he said. “I believe there is something more than just winning trophies. It is the style of play, the ambition you have with your style of player, the vision, the values the club has. It all has to be right and the trophies are part of it.”

Unwanted record
Yet though Wenger’s vision has produced teams capable of spellbinding passing football, his 16 previous European campaigns with AS Monaco FC and Arsenal have yielded not a single trophy. Indeed he holds the unwanted record of having lost finals in three continental competitions – the 2006 loss to Barcelona followed defeats with Arsenal in the 2000 UEFA Cup final and with Monaco in the 1992 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup. So what would it mean to finally land the big one now? “I love to win and I want to do it for the club, the players and the fans more than for me.”

Camp Nou, Barcelona
Tuesday 28 April 2009 – 20.45CET
Matchday 11 – Semi-finals, first leg

If FC Barcelona coach Josep Guardiola is feeling the pressure of a UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg against Chelsea FC and the need to overcome recent vulnerability against English clubs, then he is not showing it.

English hoodoo
Barcelona were eliminated by Manchester United FC in last season’s semi-final and by Liverpool FC the previous year and have failed to win in their past four home ties against English sides. Guardiola also knows in the last six UEFA Champions League games between these two outfits, Barça have only won when the Blues have had a player sent off. But the Catalan club’s coach believes he is in charge of an extraordinary team – one which is capable of imposing itself on Chelsea. “I’m as happy as a little boy with a new pair of shoes,” grinned the 38-year-old. “I don’t know if this moment can ever be repeated. The world will be watching, we are playing football which gives me joy and pride and I have 100 per cent faith in my squad. The tie will only be settled in London but we will try and play at our top level, with intensity and quick, decisive passing.”

Free scoring
It is the style which has made Barça leading scorers in the UEFA Champions League this season, reaching their third semi-final in four years via aggregate 6-3 and 5-1 defeats of Olympique Lyonnais and FC Bayern München. Guardiola does not subscribe to the theory that the London club’s style will present his charges with a unique challenge. “Chelsea might be a little more physical and a little more direct than most sides we’ve played, but teams regularly try to counterattack us with speed and power,” he argued. “It will be crucial to keep our shape and attack in an ordered fashion.”

‘Moment of truth’
Barça have all their key players fit with both Rafael Márquez and Yaya Touré likely to return having been rested in Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Valencia CF. “In any season when you are playing well you reach a decisive moment, the moment of truth. This is one and we are playing a legendary team – I know it will be very tough,” Guardiola added.

Team defending
Chelsea arrive at the Camp Nou with first choice left-back Ashley Cole suspended, but their coach Guus Hiddink, who has revolutionised their season since arriving in February, believes that containing this Lionel Messi-inspired side is a job for the entire team, not just Cole’s likely replacement José Bosingwa. “I have watched Barça for many years because I like their attacking philosophy,” said the Dutchman who has coached Spanish sides Valencia, Real Madrid CF and Real Betis Balompié.

Chelsea injuries
“Of course I’ve seen and studied the way Barça destroyed the Bayern defence in the quarter-final first leg and overran Bayern all over the pitch. My team must start with total concentration because we can’t and won’t let Barça do that to us.” Hiddink is also without Ricardo Carvalho, Deco and long-term absentees Joe Cole and Paulo Ferreira, though he does have Barcelona’s winning goalscorer from the 2006 UEFA Champions League final, Juliano Belletti, at his disposal. “Maybe he knows a little secret which can give us a tiny advantage,” said Hiddink, his last words before battle commences typifying his jaunty humour.

Hiddink raises the bar as Chelsea soar
Guus Hiddink admitted that a run of just one defeat in 15 games since taking the reins in February has prompted a revision of his initial targets for a tenure which is proving to be the stuff of dreams for both the Dutchman and the Chelsea FC faithful.

Catalyst
Appointed as a temporary replacement for Luiz Felipe Scolari following an uninspiring goalless home draw against Hull City AFC, the size of the task facing the 62-year-old was evident as Chelsea struggled for 75 minutes of their FA Cup tie against Watford FC in his first match in the stands. A quick-fire hat-trick from Nicolas Anelka then changed the course of both that tie and Chelsea’s campaign, after which they have progressed to the last four of the UEFA Champions League, where they meet FC Barcelona on Tuesday, and the final of the FA Cup against Everton FC.

One loss
“When we took over in February, Chelsea were competing for fourth and fifth position [in the Premier League],” said Hiddink, who has experienced just one defeat since succeeding Scolari. “Our first aim was to get Chelsea into next year’s Champions League. You can be satisfied with climbing up the league, but in top-level football when you get where you want to be you have to restructure your ambitions and not be happy with your initial targets.

‘Next step’
“If the team is doing well you make the demands higher. We did that and we have an FA Cup final spot. When we started in February if we knew we’d have a semi-final [against Barcelona] we would have thought that was terrific, but you always have to take the next step when you’re a big club with ambition.” Chelsea’s next step is a first leg against Barça at the Camp Nou, a tie which pits together the 29-goal top scorers in the competition and the team with the best defensive record in the English top flight, the Blues having conceding just 20 goals in 34 outings.

‘Fantastic team’
“I’ve seen Barcelona, and not just in recent weeks, playing fantastically well,” continued Hiddink, who suffered defeats on his four Liga trips to Catalonia during his spells managing Valencia CF and Real Madrid CF. “These two teams both have the style to attack when they can. Barça like to attack; Chelsea are not a team to sit back and wait for things to happen. It’s more or less an open clash between two teams who like to go forward.”

Hiddink dream
Hiddink revealed at the weekend that he had twice played out the game in his mind, but refused to be drawn on the outcome he had imagined when questioned on the eve of the first leg. “If I could see into the future I’d be in another job,” he joked. “What I try to do is analyse what can happen. Then you have to see if it’s in your power to prevent them playing well while we’re dangerous at the same time. I cannot predict this. I said last week that I’ve never lost a game in preparation – more often the reality is more cruel.”

Xavi willing to play waiting game
As far as Xavi Hernández is concerned, the template for FC Barcelona to overcome Chelsea FC and reach the UEFA Champions League final is to replicate the whirlwind first half the Catalan side produced in defeating FC Bayern München in the previous round.

Power play
On that day Lionel Messi, Samuel Eto’o and Thierry Henry mounted a four-goal onslaught in the opening 43 minutes of the first leg which, effectively, ensured Barça’s presence in the last four. But even if that is the dream route to follow at the Camp Nou against Guus Hiddink’s side, Xavi believes Chelsea are a much tougher prospect and that the decisive moments of the tie will come in London. “It would be a huge advantage, in fact it would be a bit of a dream, if we could hit four goals against Chelsea like we did that night,” said the 29-year-old.

Cerebral approach
“What we can repeat, however, is the level of play and the intensity with which we attacked Bayern. My opinion remains that we are not likely to finish the tie in the first leg – the match at Stamford Bridge will be decisive. Look what happened when Chelsea won at Anfield. Despite that victory they had to fight to stay alive in the second leg and what I feel is important is that we now have enough experience to play this cleverly over the two legs of the tie.”

Record defeat
Xavi is one of those players who carries experience of all eight UEFA Champions League matches between the two clubs. In fact he, Carles Puyol and coach Josep Guardiola all played some part in Barça’s 6-4 victory in the 1999/00 quarter-final which included a 5-1 second-leg triumph – Chelsea’s heaviest defeat in European competition. The lasting impression he has, nine years after first testing himself against the Blues, is of immense respect.

‘Top-class players’
“Chelsea do have the tremendous physical power and competitive spirit which everyone talks about but they are also now managed by a fine Dutch coach and I think it’s important to point out that they have top-class footballers in the side,” Xavi said. “[Frank] Lampard and [Didier] Drogba stand out but there’s also the experience of John Terry – he and [Michael] Essien are among the best in the world in their positions. I admire Terry and have a great deal of respect for him. In fact I well remember how his aerial ability knocked us out of the competition four years ago.”

Technically stronger
That said, the Barça playmaker is uncomfortable with the idea that the power of the English Premier League is, de facto, too much for even the top sides in Spain. “I don’t accept that the Premier League is the best in the world, in fact I’d say that in technical and tactical terms our league is superior. I know that a great deal was made of how Liverpool eliminated Real Madrid but one game doesn’t prove anything conclusively. Barça are not in this semi-final by chance and we’ve defeated good sides like Bayern and Olympique Lyonnais to get here. We are ready for this test.”

Malouda trusts in Blues’ common purpose
Chelsea FC coach Guus Hiddink may have little option but to pit José Bosingwa against Lionel Messi in Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg, but winger Florent Malouda believes teamwork, and not the performance of the out-of-position Portuguese full-back, will be key to the Londoners getting a result away to FC Barcelona.

Leading scorer
With regular left-back Ashley Cole suspended, and potential deputy Ricardo Carvalho missing with a hamstring injury, Hiddink will deploy right-back Bosingwa on the opposite side of a four-man defence at the Camp Nou. The 26-year-old has played less than an hour of football – in his new position during Saturday’s 1-0 defeat of West Ham United FC – in a month because of a hamstring strain of his own. He is likely to be in for a testing night as he squares off against Messi, the competition’s eight-goal leading scorer.

Support
When asked whether he had trained specifically with Bosingwa for this European opener, left-winger Malouda said: “Since he’s been back from injury we’ve spoken a lot, and will speak a lot more preparing for this game. But it’s not just about José, it’s about teamwork. Everybody is focused on José because he’s facing Messi, but everybody in this team helps everyone else; he’ll need us and we’ll need him. Messi is really impressive, not many players can do what he does on the pitch, but hopefully tomorrow we won’t see his qualities.”

Upturn in fortunes
Unity has been a feature of this Chelsea side since Hiddink replaced Luiz Felipe Scolari on a temporary contract for the rest of the season in February, the Blues only losing once in 15 games following his appointment. Malouda has been integral to that upturn in fortunes, finally finding his feet after struggling to adapt under three previous managers after his €20m move from Olympique Lyonnais in summer 2007.

Fitness work
With this semi-final to come, as well as an FA Cup final against Everton FC on 30 May, the French international believes “now is the perfect time to be in form”. He added: “It’s always difficult [to play at your peak] if you have fitness problems, especially in the English league. I started the season well then had a few physical issues which needed addressing. I kept working every day and now you can see the results. I’m enjoying playing for Chelsea and it’s great to be involved in a game like this.”

‘Ambition’
Turning his attention to the Spanish Liga leaders, the 28-year-old said: “Everybody enjoys the way Barcelona play their football. They have an attacking style and score a lot of goals. I respect that and hope we can show that we can match them. We’re in the semi-finals because we won the right to be here. When you reach this stage everyone wants to go on and reach the final. We came here with an ambition to do something special.” With Chelsea, and Malouda, in form, that might just be possible.