Barcelona will travel to West London tonight buoyed by a rampant 6-2 victory over Real Madrid last weekend. However, the Spanish side will need a big team performance if they are going to get past a Chelsea side determined to make up for their loss last year in Moscow.

Chelsea may choose to go with just Didier Drogba up top with Nicolas Anelka looking set to miss out. Ashley Cole is likely to return after being banned for the first leg, which ended in a 0-0 draw, and German, Michael Ballack, could step straight back into the side.

Thierry Henry is a doubt for Barcelona as he hobbled off against Madrid and missed training with a knee injury. Barca also have defensive problems with Carlos Puyol suspended and Rafael Marquez injured. A lot of pressure will be placed on former Manchester United player, Gerrard Pique, who will no doubt have to martial a make shift defence.

Barca go into the tie backed by a big and fearsome performance. It is unlikely that Chelsea will be fazed by this side’s result last weekend but if they go to London with a clear game plan and play any where near like they did against Madrid then it could be a long night for Guus Hiddink’s men.

Chelsea’s home advantage could just see them through. They will be disappointed not to have scored an away goal last week but they are in with a real chance. If they can keep Samuel Eto’o and Lionel Messi quiet all night then Barca’s main influences will be muted.

Guus Hiddink insists that his side are ready and not afraid. He said: “Their 6-2 win was a respectable performance but every game is different. Having scored six it will give them a tremendous boost, but I think this game will be a lot different.”

Chelsea will be looking to their big players to see them through the tie. Captain, John Terry, must lead from the front and make sure his defence is organised, compact and tight. This will allow Frank Lampard and the other attacking players to flow forwards and create space and time for each other.

However, they must be wary of the counter attack. Manchester United’s third goal against Arsenal showed last night how clinical this piece of play can be with the right momentum and players in the process. If Barca get any foothold in the midfield then they have the players necessary to dominate this area of the pitch all night long.

Ironically it has the pre-match feeling of an English cup-tie and could well end up being that sort of game in terms of play and atmosphere. Chelsea will need the fans to get right behind the team and make Stamford Bridge as intimidating as they can. If Barca are allowed to settle then this could be disastrous.

It is a very hard game to call and for now Manchester United won’t care who wins. Whoever gets their nose in front early could press on and take the match. For neutrals it would be good to see yet again two big English sides in the final but Barca must not be counted out. They could easily produce a display that none of us expect and something that takes our breath away.

Tonight Chelsea face an absolutely massive task in Spain that could see their European ambitions completely destroyed.

Guus Hiddink’s men face up to the favourites for this years competition in what promises to be a mouth-watering occasion. It will take a tremendous amount of team spirit, combined with quality and skill to get the two time Premier League champions through this tie.

The loss of Ashley Cole will mean Jose Bosingwa steps in at left back to try and counter the attacking influence of arguably the best player in the world, Lionel Messi. Otherwise, Chelsea look fully equipped to pack out the midfield and give Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka the best possible chance of scoring an away goal to take back to Stamford Bridge.

Both sides are packed with talent so it is difficult to work out where tonight’s game will be won. Chelsea have only beaten Barca on four occasions, as opposed to the Spanish side’s five victories.

Chelsea will be looking to dominate the midfield battles. The likes of Frank Lampard, Michael Essien and Michael Ballack must all dominate Iniesta and Xavi. The Spanish side will clearly look to play a quick passing game to breach the Chelsea defence.

The recent form of Chelsea goalkeeper, Petr Cech, has come under increased scrutiny and as Barcelona will be looking to kill the tie in the first leg, the Czech international will have to be on top of his game.

The basis of Chelsea’s success under Jose Mourinho was Cech leading from the back, allowing the defence the time and movement to deal with attacking problems easily. If Barcelona look to exploit Cech then it could be one of the very few weak points in the West London side’s armour.

Leadership will also be vital. John Terry will still be hurting from the final defeat to Manchester United last season. Terry will need to pull out a big performance to martial his side through their most important game of this year’s campaign. Terry will also be paramount to stemming Barcelona’s attacking influence.

Hiddink will no doubt want to get one over on the club he faced during his time at Real Madrid. It is likely he is to be very shrewd with his tactics and considering the talent Barca will have on display, this is no surprise.

He has to deploy a clever system in order to impose his Chelsea side on the game. Sitting back and consolidating will knock work as it allows Barca to build up pressure and eventually pick off a goal or two.

As for Barcelona, the defence of the Spanish side has come under recent criticism especially the keeper, Victor Valdes, and captain, Carlos Puyol. Both of these players have been going through rough patches, but are likely to play as they are two of the most experienced players in the Spanish side.

The attacking combination that Barcelona go with is unknown, it could be Henry and Messi or it could be Messi and Eto’o, but the one thing that is guaranteed is that whoever plays, they are likey to give Chelsea a few headaches.

Chelsea will get through this one with vocal support from the fans and with a massive team performance. They have to keep Barcelona’s influences quiet, while at the same time imposing themselves on the game. If all of this unfolds then there is no reason why they can’t go back to the Bridge with a one or two goal advantage.