A True Test For Barcelona

Barcelona vs. Chelsea offers a truly exciting encounter. Not only is it a classic encounter between two brilliant football sides, but it also offers a recently formed arch-rivalry.

The two sides have faced each other in four of the last five years. Each encounter at the Camp Nou and Stamford Bridge has truly been magnificent.

This year will be another epic. Not only will it offer great battles like Drogba vs. Puyol, Lampard vs. Xavi, Eto’o vs. Terry, Iniesta vs. Essien, but will promise good, attacking football.

But what this tie will truly show is Barcelona’s strength. There is no doubting the strength of English sides. Chelsea have beaten Juventus and Liverpool en route this tie. They have showed the character, strength and form after the departure of Luiz Felipe Scolari.

However, Barcelona have had an easier passage to this semi-final tie. They have beat Lyon in the first knockout round and beat Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals. Some may argue that Bayern Munich is a good team, but clearly a team struggling to win the Bundesliga and competing for it with Wolfsburg, Hertha Berlin, Stuttgart and even Hoffenhaim for most of the season, cannot be credited as a great team.

There is no doubting Barcelona are a great team who play attacking football. The tally of goals they have scored all season are a proof to that.

But the true test for Barcelona comes now. We have yet to witness Barcelona face a top side in Europe. It will be interesting to see how this match will fair. It will show Barcelona’s true strength.

Think about it, Barcelona are a good side, but after all the turmoil and crisis Real Madrid have been through, they are still only four points behind Barcelona. Four points is not a big difference. Real Madrid are also the same side who were thumped by Liverpool 5-0 on aggregate, and Liverpool are the same side dumped by Chelsea in the last round. Chelsea are the same side which now face Barcelona.

I do not know who will win the tie, and do not want to predict. But, this tie will show Barcelona’s true strength. If they get past Chelsea, then they are truly a great side. If not, then the English League is just too strong.