Barcelona resume goal hunt

As if a place in the Champions League final isnt motivation enough for Chelsea and Barcelona to win their semi-final second leg....

As if a place in the Champions League final isnt motivation enough for Chelsea and Barcelona to win their semi-final second leg at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday,both sides will also be fuelled by the chance to settle a few old scores.

For Barcelona,the frustration of being stopped from scoring at the Nou Camp for the first time this season in last weeks first leg was exacerbated by the feeling that Chelsea had emerged unscathed from the Catalan cauldron by resorting to the games dark arts.

It is a source of pride to Barcas fans that their team have always remained true to their purist principles. So to see Chelsea play in such a negative,niggly manner and still avoid defeat drew a furious response from Pep Guardiolas players. Xavi led the protests against Chelseas anti-football but,inevitably the Blues were unrepentant and Barca would relish the chance to reach the final by eliminating a club who present such an affront to their beliefs.

Losing in the semi-finals to Manchester United last season was painful enough but the prospect of bowing out at the same stage to Chelsea is too awful to contemplate.

Bad memories

But that desire wont guarantee Barca get their wish as Chelsea have plenty of additional incentive to complete the road to Rome themselves. The Blues were one kick away from winning Europes elite club competition last May when John Terry ran up to take a penalty in the teeming Moscow rain.

If Terry had converted that spot-kick,Chelsea would have won the shoot-out against Manchester United,but the England captain slipped up as he struck the ball,and saw his effort clip the post. Chelsea winger Florent Malouda admits the squad is still haunted by that miss and he knows only a victory in this years final can erase those bitter memories. Last year,to be in the final,was a very good experience but also bad, Malouda said. It was a shame to lose. We are all determined now to get to Rome and win the trophy because we have come close before. This now means that our desire is even stronger than it has ever been.

Nicolas Anelka,who scored his 22nd of the season on Saturday,will be desperate to start but is more likely to return to the bench,from where can be introduced to add more variety to Chelseas attack if plan A fails to come off. I like to have a flexible team, Hiddink said after seeing his two strikers operate successfully together again. I dont want them surprised with two strikers playing together.

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Chelsea are also stiffened at the back with the return from suspension of Ashley Cole. The England left back is at his best when fully concentrated on man-marking a dangerous winger,and Lionel Messi,who admittedly did not get much out of stand-in Jose Bosingwa in the first leg,will have to be at his elusive best to make his mark.

Henry skips training

Barcelona striker Thierry Henry was forced to skip a training session due to a knee injury but will face Chelsea,the club said. Henry picked up the knock on Saturday in the first half of Barcas 6-2 romp over arch rivals Real Madrid,in which the Frenchman scored a brace of goals before being replaced half an hour from the end.

According to the club,he underwent unspecified treatment on Monday.