Guardiola: Sees chelsea strengths again

Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola compares the challenge his side face against Chelsea tomorrow (Tuesday) to other games more than a decade apart. Most recently he sees similarities with the Catalan club's two previous domestic league matches, their damaging defeat at home to Real Madrid on Saturday and an away match at Levante, won narrowly prior to the first leg of this Champions League semi-final. But asked about Chelsea's visit to Camp Nou in 2000 when both he and Roberto Di Matteo were on the pitch on opposing sides, Guardiola is prepared to consider both eras. 'It was a long time ago but I remember that match was a similar game to the one we are going to play tomorrow,' he predicts. 'A very physical game, very defensive to defend a good scoreline for Chelsea and us to try to find a way to create the chances, and when we lose the ball to control their counter-attack because it is one of the big strengths for Chelsea. 'It will be a similar match to the ones against Levante and Real Madrid because Chelsea is a very strong squad physically and they manage their space well, so we will have to have a balance between rhythm, intensity and patience. 'Sometimes you will lose the ball and they will get it and those situations we have to be ready and overcome that danger. 'I don't think we will have many opportunities to score,' he says, as he did in the build-up to the first leg, 'but we need to think we have 90 minutes so with patience and intensity we can make it.' Guardiola concedes that Barcelona might need to score three times during the game in order to progress, again citing the first leg to back his viewpoint, but he does not think Chelsea rotating our team at the weekend much more than he did with his selection will have an impact. 'Tomorrow we are not tired in the legs,' he argues. 'Maybe tired in the mind but we will try not to be tired in our minds. When it is this situation - a semi-final of the Champions League - it doesn't matter if we played three days ago or yesterday, we will be ready to compete.' Barcelona's central defender believes his side must aim for at least 70 per cent of possession in order to have the chances to swing the tie in their favour. He is also wary of first-leg scorer Didier Drogba. 'I have faced Drogba many times. He's one of the best strikers I have seen. He's at a great level because it isn't easy to score and he's been doing it for many years. He'll be a tough opponent if I face him.' Pique was an unused sub in the first leg but he has commented on accusations following the game regarding the Chelsea centre-forward. 'I believe that every time Drogba fell down it was because he was in pain. I don't think that he was trying to act. 'Chelsea are very strong and very competitive and it's always difficult against players like Frank Lampard and Drogba because they have a lot of football in their legs so they know what they're doing.'