Chelsea, Clubs, Story, UEFA Champions League


ESPN FC’s Craig Burley recaps all the Saturday results from week 30 in the Premier League, headlined by Man United’s win over Liverpool.
Despite opting to leave Olivier Giroud and Alvaro Morata on the bench at Man City, Antonio Conte says he still trusts both of his No. 9s to come good.

Antonio Conte has told his attacking players to be ready to suffer when Chelsea travel to Barcelona in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Chelsea must score at the Camp Nou to progress after last month’s 1-1 first leg draw in London.

Eden Hazard was deployed as a “false nine” in that game but subsequently complained about the position following a lacklustre loss at Manchester City.

Conte could call upon the Belgium playmaker to fill the role on Wednesday or opt to use either Olivier Giroud or Alvaro Morata as a more conventional striker.

“It’s important to understand that we must be prepared to suffer, if we play with Hazard as No. 9 or if we play with Giroud or Morata as No. 9 and Hazard as No. 10,” Conte told Chelsea TV.

Conte said he would consult his players over the tactics and hoped for a repeat of the performance at Stamford Bridge, albeit without a Barca goal.

“We need to repeat the game we played at Stamford Bridge and to try to exploit the chances to score,” he added.

Eden Hazard played as a ‘false nine’ in the first leg.

Chelsea beat Barcelona en route to winning the 2012 Champions League.

A remarkable performance at the Camp Nou saw them draw 2-2 and earn a 3-2 aggregate victory to advance to the final.

Defender Gary Cahill, who was injured in that game, said: “I didn’t spend too long out there last time with my hamstring that I pulled.

“But the result was fantastic and the rest is history. Let’s go there with confidence we can put in a good show and do the best we possibly can to get through to the next round.

“It’s poised nicely. We’ve got one game to try to go through against world-class opposition. We know it’s going to be tough, but we’re ready for the challenge.”



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