Barca eye morale-boosting victory

While Barcelona has started the season by winning the Spanish and European Super Cups,defencive lapses appear to be its foremost problem but Milans normally potent attack is short of forwards with Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri ruling Ibrahimovic and Robinho out.

Ibrahimovics anticipated return to the Camp Nou for the first time since his turbulent exit before last season will have to wait after the Sweden striker injured his hamstring in training. Robinho has yet to recover from a groin injury.

Barcelona defender Carles Puyol should return for the first time since May after recovering from knee surgery,but defender Gerard Pique is out injured,leaving Eric Abidal to likely fill the other centre back spot. We have to do better and prepare better, Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said after the draw,which began with Lionel Messi,Andres Iniesta and David Villa on the bench.

Barcelona and Milan are favoured to advance out of a group that also includes BATE Borisov of Belarus and Czech club Viktoria Plzen,who meet Tuesday in Prague. Barcelona midfielder Thiago Alcantara said his clubs intensity dropped in the second half of Saturdays draw,showing that the team many are comparing with the all-time greats is not invincible.

I am calm about tomorrow night,it isnt a final,just the first match of the group stages, Allegri said on the clubs website on Monday. We are playing against a side that has won so much but our aim is to get through the group stages.

Alexandre Pato and Antonio Cassano are Allegris lone options in attack with Ibrahimovic and Robinho out.

Former Barcelona players Mark van Bommel and Gianluca Zambrotta also return to play their former club,with Van Bommel lining up against Xavi Hernandez and Iniesta for the first time since Spains 1-0 World Cup final victory over the Netherlands last year. While that final in Johannesburg was remembered for the Dutch teams bruising display,Milan knows Barcelonas midfield must be held in check with Cesc Fabregas and Sergio Busquets also to worry about.

The key players are Xavi and Iniesta,their right brain and their left brain. If you stop them it becomes difficult for their forwards to score, Milan midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng said. Teams cant play without their brains.

Barcelonas attack will be without Alexis Sanchez after the Chile forward injured his thigh against Sociedad.

Boateng appears set to play despite bruising his shoulder during Milans 2-2 draw with Lazio on Friday in its Serie A opener. Midfielder Gennaro Gattuso is questionable with an eye injury and Clarence Seedorf should also be available after sitting out against Lazio,with Allegri promising changes to his lineup against Barcelona.

Barcelona is unbeaten in its last 10 Champions League games at Camp Nou. In 11 prior meetings,including the 2006 semifinal series won by Barcelona,the pair have each won four times and drawn the other three.

A fired-up Chelsea

ANDRE Villas-Boas launches his attempt on Tuesday to succeed where his six predecessors have failed by delivering the Champions League trophy to Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich this season. Since the billionaire from Russia took control of the London club in 2003,Claudio Ranieri,Jose Mourinho,Avram Grant,Luiz Felipe Scolari,Guus Hiddink and Carlo Ancelotti have all left Stamford Bridge after failing to reach the Holy Grail.

Chelseas latest quest for glory in the competition that Abramovich has spent hundreds of millions of pounds trying to win starts against Bayer Leverkusen at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday. With Valencia and Racing Genk making up the Group E quartet,Chelsea should have little trouble easing through to the knockout rounds.

The only players still at the club who took part in Chelseas first Champions League campaign when they reached the semi-final in 2003-04 are John Terry and Frank Lampard,and Lampard says past failures have only increased their desire to lift the trophy. Obviously it is something the owner wants, he told reporters.

When you have had a lot of domestic success,its not just the owner,but the whole club and the fans who want that extra step to win in Europe. As a club,with what we have achieved in the last six or seven years,its an obvious thing to say,the one thing that is missing from our cabinet is the Champions League. I wouldnt say thats the only reason the other managers have been sacked,but the pressure is cranked up regardless.

Villas-Boas is well prepared for it after becoming the youngest coach to win a European trophy when he lifted the Europa League with Porto last season. Chelsea have started the new season in good form under him and are undefeated with three wins and a draw from their opening four matches following Saturdays 2-1 victory at Sunderland.

Striker Didier Drogba will miss Tuesdays match following his head injury and subsequent concussion against Norwich City two weeks ago,and with out-of-form Fernando Torres relegated to the bench on Saturday,Villas-Boas could well start with the youthful Daniel Sturridge alongside Nicolas Anelka up front.

With new signings Juan Mata from Valencia and Raul Meireles from Liverpool strong additions to the squad,Chelsea look set to challenge until the later stages again and will be determined to improve on last seasons quarter-final exit.

Welcome back Ballack

They will also be hoping to welcome former midfielder Michael Ballack back to Stamford Bridge where the former Germany captain spent four years from 2006 to 2010. Lampard said he would get a great reception from the fans. Its very nice hes coming back. Hes held in very high respect here.

Like Chelsea,beaten by Manchester United in the 2008 final,Leverkusen have also reached and lost one final,going down 2-1 to Real Madrid in Glasgow 10 seasons ago. The pressures on them are entirely different to those on Chelsea and Tuesdays match will be their first in competition in seven years.

Ballack will no doubt attract the spotlight against his old club and coach Robin Dutt will be happy to have him back fit and sharp,as he was against Augsburg,starting for the first time alongside captain Simon Rolfes in midfield.

It is unclear if Dutt will spring a surprise against Chelsea. I do not know yet whether he Ballack will play on Tuesday. We have a lot of fit players. Germany international Andre Schuerrle is the most likely replacement for Ballack if he remains on the bench. Dutt will,however,use 19-year-old goalkeeper Bernd Leno,as a replacement for injured Germany international Rene Adler.

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