Chelsea vs Barcelona: Match preview, head-to-head, team news, key players

Chelsea host Barcelona in the Champions League at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday evening.

The Blues were held to a 2-2 draw by Azerbaijan side Qarabag in their last outing, while Barcelona drew 3-3 at Club Brugge.

Match preview

Chelsea defeated Burnley 2-0 in the Premier League on Saturday and will aim to build on that momentum to put their Champions League aspirations back on track.

The Blues currently risk missing out on one of the automatic qualification places for the knockout stage, sitting 12th in the standings with seven points.

Wesley Fofana and Moises Caicedo missed the trip to Burnley, but are expected to return to the starting line-up for this game. Reece James should also start after playing just 45 minutes at Turf Moor.

The La Liga reigning champions defeated Athletic Bilbao 4-0 on Saturday, but have been inconsistent in Europe. They are level on points with Chelsea.

Brugge’s Carlos Forbs exploited Barcelona’s high defensive line last time out, and Chelsea will look to do the same with their pacy wingers.

Hansi Flick’s side have scored 12 goals in the competition and will fancy their chances against a Chelsea defence that has shipped six goals.

Head-to-head

Chelsea have faced Barcelona 14 times in the Champions League, with both sides recording four wins apiece. The remaining six matches ended in draws.

Team news

Chelsea will miss Cole Palmer, Romeo Lavia, Dario Essugo and Levi Colwill for this clash.

Barcelona have received an injury boost ahead of their trip to London, with Marcus Rashford returning to training.

Alejandro Balde is also expected to be fit after coming off at half-time against Athletic, but the game will come too soon for Pedri.

Key players

Chelsea

Moises Caicedo: The Ecuadorian is Chelsea’s best player this season, and his performance will be crucial.

Estevao: The Blues’ top scorer in the competition and one of Europe’s most exciting teenagers.

Barcelona

Lamine Yamal: The Spaniard has three goal involvements in his last two Champions League games.

Marcus Rashford: Barcelona’s top scorer and joint-leader for most goal contributions in the competition.

Stats from sofascore.com, transfermarkt.com & uefa.com.