“I would refuse to play”

Former Chelsea star Frank Leboeuf has highlighted three of the squad’s players who will pose problems for Barcelona’s defensive style in the UEFA Champions League. The pundit expects his former side to take all three points at home to the Spanish champions in their tie.

Leboeuf was a guest on OLBG, where he predicted a narrow 2-1 victory for the Blues at Stamford Bridge. He described Hansi Flick’s team’s high defensive line as suicidal, revealing he expects Chelsea’s pacy attackers Alejandro Garnacho, Pedro Neto and Joao Pedro to take full advantage.

“I’m positive, 2-1 against Chelsea. I see Barcelona playing on the high line and it’s crazy. I mean, I don’t understand Hansi Flick and the way he plays. As a defender I would refuse to play like that, I would put myself on the bench, I don’t want to look like a fool. I saw the last goal they conceded this weekend. And I say it’s impossible to play that high line when the players don’t even have their sight.

“They are alone, the opponent, they are alone off the field and they play high line in half of the field, it’s crazy. With Alejandro Garnacho, with Pedro Neto, with Joao Pedro, they are fast. It’s like Paris Saint-Germain, they kill them. Because we don’t play like that, it’s impossible. So it worked last season, because they were effective up front, and they scored more goals than they haven’t taken any but this season they’re fragile, so it’s possible,” he said (via metro.co.uk).

Enzo Maresca’s team enters the Champions League after eight wins and one defeat in their last ten matches in all competitions. They have also shown they are capable of causing problems for bigger teams, beating Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the FIFA Club World Cup final this summer.

Barcelona have looked fragile at times this season, with many teams taking full advantage of their high defensive line. The Spanish giants are, however, very capable in front of goal with the likes of Lamine Yamal and Robert Lewandowski, as well as Marcus Rashford and Raphinha, fit again.

Barcelona star set to return to action at Chelsea

Barcelona are set to host Marcus Rashford when they take on Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday. The England international was absent for La Blaugrana as they won 4-0 against Athletic Club in La Liga on Saturday.

Rashford caught the flu shortly after returning from international duty, causing him to miss several days of training and then the match at the Camp Nou. The 28-year-old has, however, returned to training for his team and is in line to feature against the Blues.

Marcus Rashford has returned to England once this season when he scored twice against Newcastle United in the Champions League. The in-form Englishman will be hoping to make an impact against Chelsea, a team he has scored six times against in the past.