Chelsea vs. Barcelona: Blues Will Need Perfect Day to Upset Catalans

If you are looking for a day when the Chelsea season would be fully accounted for, it would be the opening leg of the Champions League semifinal against Barcelona. It's a match the Blues simply must win. 

Let's get one thing out of the way right now—Chelsea will not win at Camp Nou. The Catalans are far too fierce a side, and far too comfortable in the warm embrace of their home to let a mammoth upset like that happen. 

That leaves Wednesday's match at Stamford Bridge as the first, last and only real shot at truly shocking the world and beating Barca.

Chelsea is not without its merits, showing great grit and form under Roberto Di Matteo, but there is far too much inconsistency on the back line to have big hopes entering Wednesday's clash of titans. 

That defensive issue is exactly what worries me about Chelsea starting the semis with a deficit they are not equipped to come back from. 

If you need a villain in all this, it would be Lionel Messi, a player that is in perfect form and showing no signs of relenting despite a grueling schedule. 

Chelsea has had fits with lesser teams, and there is no player that I am confident can stave off a classic Messi run deep into the box. 

The defense will need to be better than it has been all season, which is fitting, considering the season comes down to this one game. 

Blues' glory is all about winning the elusive Champions League, and no amount of magic will see them hurdle any deficit they endure at Stamford Bridge. 

The attack will need to be equally special in order for Chelsea to have a chance at reaching the finals. Fernando Torres will need to show more than flashes of his old self, and this is why I favor a heavy dose of Didier Drogba in attack. 

Juan Mata will give Barcelona someone to watch closely, as will Ramires. If there is any hope, it's that Chelsea can get out with quickness, but it has to start early and it can never relent. 

If I sound pessimistic, it's because I am. 

This season has alerted us to a Chelsea squad that is far older than we would like, and not nearly as uniform as a championship-caliber team needs to be. 

They can still win it all and get past arguably the best in the world, but they need to be perfect at Stamford Bridge. 

Follow @gabezal