Chelsea vs. Barcelona: Team News, Preview, Live Stream & TV Info
Barcelona head to Washington and the challenge of overcoming Premier League champions Chelsea in the third leg of their International Champions Cup soiree.
Jose Mourinho's men should provide tough opposition for the Blaugrana especially as they have yet to record a victory over 90 minutes in the competition.
Surprisingly undone by New York Red Bulls, who plundered four second-half goals in a 4-2 win, the Blues still didn't have enough in the locker to see off a spirited challenge from Paris Saint-Germain.
With Barcelona still unable to call upon the services of Lionel Messi, Neymar, Javier Mascherano and Claudio Bravo, the Catalans remain at a slight disadvantage in personnel terms.
This match does give the fringe and youth players another chance to express themselves and impress the manager.
Date: Tuesday, July 28
Time: 1 a.m. BST (July 29)/8 p.m. ET
Venue: FedEx Field, Maryland, United States
TV Info: Sky Sports 1/Chelsea TV (UK only)/Fox Soccer Two/ESPN Deportes (USA only)
Live Stream: Sky Go (UK only)/Fox Soccer 2Go (USA only)
Form Lines
| Chelsea | Barcelona |
| L 2-4 vs. New York Red Bulls | W 2-1 vs Los Angeles Galaxy |
| W 1-0 vs. Sydney FC | W 3-1 vs Juventus |
| W 1-0 vs. Thailand All Stars | W 3-1 vs Athletic Club de Bilbao |
| W 3-1 vs. Sunderland | D 2-2 vs Deportivo La Coruna |
| L 0-3 vs. West Bromwich Albion | W 1-0 vs Atletico Madrid |
| D 1-1 vs. Liverpool | W 2-0 vs. Real Sociedad |
Predicted Formations
Chelsea are unlikely to change from the 4-2-3-1 template that serves them so well and allows Mourinho the opportunity to play with two holding midfielders.
The brick wall that Jon Obi Mikel and Nemanja Matic provide allows for the more creative talents of Cesc Fabregas and Eden Hazard to flourish.
Diego Costa will plough a lone furrow from the start and will relish the battle against Barca's central-defensive pairing; Victor Moses is likely to make up the attacking quartet that starts the game.
Asmir Begovic needs minutes so expect him to again start in this one but replaced again on the hour by Thibaut Courtois, a 'keeper who has thwarted Barca on regular occasions in the past.
The Blues back line picks itself and the Catalans can expect no change from Branislav Ivanovic, Gary Cahill, John Terry and Cesar Azpilicueta.
Luis Suarez's history with Ivanovic gives this game an unusual sub-text, but the Uruguayan will hope the attacking prowess that saw him plunder 25 goals last season is what writes the narrative here.
Rafinha's brutish attacking bursts are required to upset the solidity that Matic and Mikel will provide, and we may find that Luis Enrique brings Ivan Rakitic into the starting lineup in place of captain Andres Iniesta to fight fire with fire.
Sergio Busquets will, of course, anchor a three-man midfield with Pedro Rodriguez and Sergi Roberto in support of Suarez.
Clearly, chances are going to be at a premium against a well-drilled defence, but if Barca's effective passing carousel can get going early in the game, then spaces will open up for the Catalans to exploit.
Gerard Pique will take care of Costa, but the effervescent and timely runs of Hazard need to be curtailed in their early stages.
The freedom to roam is going to cause issues for whoever partners Pique because with Cesc Fabregas' vision, every part of the pitch becomes live. Perhaps even Adriano and Jordi Alba need to sit in tighter defensively and force their opposite numbers out wide, rather than playing the marauding wing-back role that they are used to.
Player to Watch
Barcelona know all about Cesc Fabregas.
The ex-Barca man is the string-puller extraordinaire in this Chelsea side, and Luis Enrique must ensure that he is chaperoned effectively throughout this game to affect his influence on proceedings.
After a below-par performance from his defence against Manchester United, Enrique will hope that Diego Costa isn't afforded the same courtesies as the Red Devils were on occasion.
The Spaniard's movement makes it easy for Fabregas to thread those eye-of-the-needle passes that underscore his game.
ESPN note just how far ahead he was in the Premier League assist charts last season whilst StatBunker tell us he needs just 11 more for a century of assists in England's top league and to place him second on the all-time list behind Ryan Giggs.
A strong and powerful midfield allows Fabregas to go about his work with aplomb, and there can't be too much doubt that he will be decisive against his old team if given appropriate time and space.
Key Battle
Gerard Pique starts 2015/16 in the best possible way, back at the top of his game and as one of the standout performers defensively in the last campaign.
So far in pre-season, Pique has continued on an upward trajectory with some excellent performances, albeit he has been let down by his partners in defence.
For example, both Thomas Vermaelen and Jeremy Mathieu have hardly covered themselves in glory thus far and would make Enrique's decision to reinstate Javier Mascherano at the earliest opportunity an easy one.
Diego Costa hasn't quite sparked into life yet and was disappointing against both New York Red Bulls and Paris Saint-Germain, hitting the post against the latter being the closest he has come to opening his account so far.
He is sure to still provide Pique with the sternest test of his credentials, however.
Serge Aurier will attest to the fact that Costa has lost none of the bullishness that makes him a real handful in the attacking third, and if he is allowed to get a run on the Barca defence, he will be decisive.
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