History makes Barcelona wary for Chelsea conclusion

FC Barcelona hold the edge in their tie against Chelsea FC thanks to an away draw at Stamford Bridge, although the London side have a more than respectable record at the Camp Nou, where they are unbeaten in their last four visits.

• In the first leg at Stamford Bridge on 20 February, Lionel Messi's first goal against Chelsea – in his ninth fixture – cancelled out Willian's opener and ensured Ernesto Valverde's side returned to Spain with a 1-1 draw. Willian twice struck the woodwork, as Chelsea made it eight games without defeat against their Catalan opponents.

• The teams have met 13 times, all in the UEFA Champions League – and all since 2000. Furthermore, five of those previous contests have been knockout ties, and all have proved compelling.

• This is their third round of 16 tie, with Barcelona bidding to reach the quarter-finals for a record-extending 11th year in a row. Chelsea, meanwhile, have progressed beyond the round of 16 only once in the last five seasons, and were beaten in their two most recent ties at this stage.

• This tie is one of two in this season's round of 16 to bring together two former European champions; FC Porto's meeting with Liverpool FC is the other.

Previous meetings
• The teams have faced each other 13 times in UEFA competition with four Chelsea wins to three for Barça and six draws.

• Chelsea came out on top when the teams last crossed paths before the first leg, in the 2011/12 semi-finals. Didier Drogba scored the only goal of the first leg in west London.

• Barcelona looked to have turned the tie round when Sergio Busquets levelled on aggregate 35 minutes into the second leg, two minutes before Chelsea captain John Terry was sent off, with Andrés Iniesta putting the Spanish side in front on aggregate two minutes before the break. A minute into first-half added-time, however, Ramires chipped Chelsea back into the contest and – after Lionel Messi had smashed a 49th-minute penalty against the crossbar – substitute Fernando Torres broke clear in added time to confirm Chelsea's place in the final, where they would defeat FC Bayern München to win a first UEFA Champions League. 

• The teams at the Camp Nou on 24 April 2012 were:
Barcelona: Valdés, Puyol, Piqué (Alves 26), Mascherano, Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta, Fàbregas (Keita 74), Messi, Cuenca (Tello 68), Alexis Sánchez.
Chelsea: Čech, Ivanović, Cahill (Bosingwa 12), Terry, Cole, Mikel, Meireles, Lampard, Mata (Kalou 58), Ramires (Bosingwa 88), Drogba (Torres 80).

• Cesc Fàbregas and Pedro Rodríguez, both now Chelsea players, featured for Barcelona in that tie.

• It was another night of high drama in their meeting at Stamford Bridge on 6 May 2009. After a goalless first leg in the semi-final, Michael Essien gave Chelsea a ninth-minute lead in the return and Barcelona then lost Éric Abidal to a red card. However, Andrés Iniesta's added-time equaliser sent the Spanish side through.

• The first-leg line-ups for that tie were:
Barcelona: Valdés, Alves, Márquez (Puyol 52), Piqué, Abidal, Touré, Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Eto'o (Boajn 82), Henry (Hleb 87).
Chelsea: Čech, Ivanović, Alex, Terry, Bosingwa, Mikel, Ballack (Anelka 90+5), Malouda, Essien, Lampard (Belletti 71), Drogba.

• Barcelona have won three of the clubs' five previous two-legged contests in the UEFA Champions League, although in their round of 16 meetings it is one triumph apiece. Barcelona were 3-2 aggregate winners at this stage in their 2005/06 title-winning campaign (2-1 away, 1-1 home) but Chelsea had prevailed 12 months earlier, turning round a 2-1 Camp Nou defeat with a 4-2 success at Stamford Bridge.

• Chelsea recorded a 3-1 home first-leg win in the 1999/2000 quarter-final, but succumbed 5-1 after extra time in the Camp Nou return.

• They were also paired together in the 2006/07 group stage, Chelsea winning 1-0 in London before a 2-2 draw in Spain.

Match background

Barcelona
• Barcelona have been in the round of 16 every year from 2004/05 onwards, winning 11 of those 13 ties. Both defeats came against English opposition – that 2005 loss to Chelsea, and an away-goals reverse against Liverpool two years later (1-2 home, 1-0 away).

• Twelve months ago, Luis Enrique's side produced the biggest comeback in UEFA Champions League history to win their round of 16 tie. Barça looked to be heading out when they lost the first leg 4-0 at Paris Saint-Germain, only for a stunning 6-1 second-leg success to turn the tie on its head.

• The Blaugrana's last two campaigns have been ended in the quarter-finals, by Juventus last season and Club Atlético de Madrid in 2015/16.

• The Spanish giants have won all three home games in this season's competition, scoring eight goals and conceding only one in beating Juventus (3-0), Olympiacos FC (3-1) and Sporting Clube de Portugal (2-0).

• Barcelona are unbeaten in 24 UEFA Champions League home matches, a run that started in September 2013 (W22 D2). The two draws, against Atlético and Juventus, came in quarter-final aggregate defeats.

• Barça's last encounters with Premier League opposition came against Manchester City FC in last season's group stage: 4-0 home, 1-3 away.

• Their overall home record against English clubs is W19 D11 L2. They have won the last four and six of the last seven at the Camp Nou, the exception that 2012 draw against Chelsea.

• Barcelona have won 13 of their 23 two-legged ties with English clubs. That 2012 defeat by Chelsea is the only reverse in their last seven contests.

Willian after giving Chelsea first-leg lead©Getty Images

• Barcelona have recorded 24 away first-leg draws in UEFA competition, winning 19 of those ties on aggregate, most recently against Paris Saint-Germain in the 2012/13 quarter-finals (2-2 away, 1-1 home). They have won nine of the 11 ties in which they drew 1-1 in the away first leg, most recently against VfB Stuttgart in the 2009/10 round of 16 (4-0 home).

• Barcelona's shoot-out record in UEFA competition is W5 L1:
5-4 v KKS Lech Poznań, 1988/89 European Cup Winners' Cup second round
0-2 v FC Steaua Bucureşti, 1985/86 European Cup final
5-4 v IFK Göteborg, 1985/86 European Cup semi-final
4-1 v RSC Anderlecht, 1978/79 European Cup Winners' Cup second round
3-1 v Ipswich Town FC, 1977/78 UEFA Cup third round
5-4 v AZ Alkmaar, 1977/78 UEFA Cup second round

Chelsea
• The London club's record in the round of 16 is W8 L4. They lost at this stage to Paris Saint-Germain in both 2014/15 and 2015/16.

• Chelsea have played ten two-legged knockout ties against Spanish clubs (W4 L6), most recently in the 2013/14 UEFA Champions League semi-finals when they lost 3-1 in the home second leg, and overall, to Atlético Madrid.

• Chelsea have already faced Spanish opposition in this season's competition, taking four points from their two Group C games against Atlético.

• The 2-1 victory at Atlético on matchday two is the Blues' only success in their last sevenfixtures against Liga clubs, home and away (D4 L2). They drew 1-1 with Atlético at Stamford Bridge on matchday six.

• Chelsea are unbeaten on their ten most recent trips to Spain (W3 D7), since a 1-0 group stage loss at Real Betis Balompié on 1 November 2005; they had drawn five matches in a row before September's win at Atlético.

• The Londoners' overall record away to Spanish clubs is W4 D7 L5.

• The Blues have lost only two of their last 21 matches against Spanish opponents, home and away (W7 D12).

• Chelsea have won five of their last 11 European away fixtures (D3 L3). The Londoners have collected two victories and a defeat on their travels this season, also winning 4-0 at Qarabağ FK on matchday five in addition to the Atlético success; they went down 3-0 at AS Roma in between.

• Champions of England for a sixth time in 2016/17, Chelsea were not involved in European competition last term for the first time since 1996/97. They had appeared in every UEFA Champions League group stage going back to 2003/04.

• Chelsea have won four of the six UEFA competition ties in which they drew the home first leg, most recently against Valencia CF in the 2006/07 round of 16 (1-1 home, 2-1 away). That was also their fourth tie in which they drew 1-1 at home first – and their third victory.

• Chelsea's shoot-out record in UEFA competition is W1 L3:
4-5 v FC Bayern München, 2013 UEFA Super Cup
4-3 v FC Bayern München, 2011/12 UEFA Champions League final
5-6 v Manchester United FC, 2007/08 UEFA Champions League final
1-4 v Liverpool FC, 2006/07 UEFA Champions League semi-final

Coach and player links
• Antonio Conte was an unused substitute in both legs of Juventus' UEFA Champions League quarter-final win against Barcelona in 2002/03.

• Fàbregas and Pedro both came through the youth ranks at Barcelona. Fàbregas departed for Arsenal FC in 2003 but returned to the Camp Nou eight years later, scoring 28 goals in 96 league appearances – winning the UEFA Super Cup in 2011, the Copa del Rey in 2012 and the Liga the following year – before joining Chelsea in 2014.

• Pedro was part of the Barcelona side that won the UEFA Champions League in 2009, 2011 – when he opened the scoring in the final against Manchester United FC – and 2015. He also lifted three UEFA Super Cups, two FIFA Club World Cups, five league titles and three Copa del Rey titles with the Catalan club, scoring 58 goals in 204 Liga appearances between 2008 and joining Chelsea in 2015.

• Have played in England:
Thomas Vermaelen (Arsenal FC 2009–14)
Luis Suárez (Liverpool FC 2011–14)
Gerard Piqué (Manchester United FC 2004–06 & 2007/08)
Paulinho (Tottenham Hotspur FC 2013–15)

• Have played in Spain:
Thibaut Courtois (Club Atlético de Madrid 2011–14)
Álvaro Morata (Real Madrid CF 2010–14 & 2016/17)
César Azpilicueta (CA Osasuna 2006–10)
Marcos Alonso (Real Madrid Castilla 2008–10, Real Madrid CF 2010)
Willy Caballero (Elche CF 2004–06 & 2006–11; Málaga CF 2011–14)

• Suárez scored twice in his six games against Chelsea for Liverpool (W2 D2 L2).

• Courtois faced Barcelona ten times while with Atlético Madrid in Spain (W1 D5 L4). The only victory came in the 2014 UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg as Atlético went on to reach the final.

• Morata scored for Juventus in their 2015 UEFA Champions League final loss to Barcelona in Berlin.

• Olivier Giroud played in both legs of Arsenal's defeat by Barcelona in the 2015/16 round of 16 (0-2 home, 1-3 away).

• Have played together:
Lucas Digne & David Luiz (Paris Saint-Germain 2014–15)

• International team-mates:
Gerard Piqué, Jordi Alba, Denis Suárez, Sergio Busquets, Sergi Roberto, Andrés Iniesta, Paco Alcácer & Álvaro Morata, César Azpilicueta, Pedro Rodríguez, Cesc Fàbregas (Spain)
Thomas Vermaelen & Eden Hazard, Thibaut Courtois (Belgium)
Lucas Digne, Ousmane Dembélé, Samuel Umtiti & Tiémoué Bakayoko, N'Golo Kanté (France)
Paulinho & David Luiz, Willian (Brazil)
Marc-André ter Stegen & Antonio Rüdiger (Germany)

Match facts

Barcelona
• UEFA Champions League squad changes 
In: José Arnaiz, David Costas, Yerry Mina
Out: Gerard Deulofeu, Javier Mascherano, Rafinha, Arda Turan

• Nélson Semedo is available after serving a one-match ban in the first leg.

• Since losing 3-1 at home to Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup on 13 August, Barcelona's home record is W18 D2. They have scored in all but one of their 21 home games this season, drawing 0-0 at home to Getafe CF on 11 February, and have managed 60 goals at the Camp Nou.

• Barcelona have scored eight goals in their last four home games in all competitions – although the majority came in a 6-1 defeat of Girona FC on 24 February.

• The Catalan club have kept three clean sheets in their last four matches at the Camp Nou, and 14 at home overall this season.

• The only team still unbeaten in this season's Liga (W22 D6), Barcelona beat second-placed Atlético Madrid 1-0 at the Camp Nou on 4 March, Lionel Messi scoring the only goal – his 600th career goal for club and country.

• Messi has scored in each of his last four Barcelona games, five goals in total. He missed Saturday's 2-0 win at Málaga CF due to the birth of his third son, Ciro.

• Barça will play Sevilla FC at the Estadio Metropolitano, home of Atlético Madrid, in the Copa del Rey final on 21 April. Barcelona have won the trophy in the last three seasons.

• Espanyol beat Barcelona 1-0 in the first leg of the Copa del Rey quarter-final on 17 January – Ernesto Valverde side's first defeat in all competitions since losing the Spanish Super Cup second leg 2-0 at Real Madrid on 16 August. The Blaugrana's record since that Madrid loss is W32 D10 L1.

• Only four of Barcelona's 72 goals in this season's Liga have come in the first 15 minutes.

• Luis Suárez has scored 14 goals in 17 games in all competitions in 2018. The Urguayan scored in ten out of his 11 appearances between 10 December and 1 February – 13 goals in all.

• January signing Philippe Coutinho – who is not eligible for the UEFA Champions League – scored his first Barcelona goal in the Copa del Rey semi-final second leg against Valencia on 8 February, and has added two more in the league.

• Iniesta suffered a hamstring injury against Atlético on 4 March; Nélson Semedo, who has a similar problem, has not played since 24 February.

• Thomas Vermaelen was out between 21 January and 24 February due to a hamstring problem. Ousmane Dembélé, who had not played since 16 September due to a ruptured tendon, returned on 4 January but was sidelined between 14 January and 11 February with a hamstring injury.

Chelsea
• UEFA Champions League squad changes 
In: Ross Barkley, Olivier Giroud, Emerson Palmieri
Out: Jake Clarke-Salter, Michy Batshuayi, Kenedy, Charly Musonda

• Chelsea have lost at Manchester United FC (1-2) and Manchester City FC (0-1) since the first leg, and have suffered three successive away Premier League defeats.

• Antonio Conte's side have lost four of their last six league matches, but did beat Crystal Palace FC 2-1 on Saturday.

• The Blues won seven of their first nine away games in all competitions this season (L2), but have since managed two wins in their last 11 (D4 L5) and have lost the last four.

• Fourteen of the 27 Premier League goals Chelsea have conceded this season have come in the final half-hour.

• Willian has scored five goals in his last five appearances in all competitions.

• Eden Hazard had six goals in six appearances before the first leg, but has now not scored in his last four.

• January signing Ross Barkley, who had not played this season for previous club Everton FC due to a torn hamstring, has been out since 31 January with another hamstring problem.

• David Luiz has been out since 10 February with a knock while Tiemoué Bakayoko returned as a late substitute for Hazard on Saturday after a month away.

• N'Golo Kanté missed the Manchester City defeat through illness but returned on Saturday.

• FUTSAL CUP FINALS DRAW
The draw for the UEFA Futsal Cup finals will be held at half-time and will be conducted by Aleksandr Alaev, chairman of the UEFA Futsal and Beach Soccer Committee, and former Barcelona defender Juliano Belletti, who scored the winner in the 2006 UEFA Champions League final. The finals, involving two-time champions Barcelona, their Spanish rivals and holders Inter FS, last season's runners-up Sporting CP and Hungary's first semi-finalists Győr, will be held in Zaragoza in April.