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Attendance: 37,741
Chelsea logo
Champions League | Round of 16
Feb 20, 2018 at 7.45pm UK
 
Barcelona logo

1-1

Willian (62')
FT(HT: 0-0)
Messi (75')

Team News: Alvaro Morata, Olivier Giroud named on Chelsea bench for Barcelona clash

Team News: Morata, Giroud named on Chelsea bench
© SilverHub
Chelsea boss Antonio Conte names both Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud on the bench for the first leg of the club's Champions League last-16 tie with Barcelona.

Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has named both Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud on the bench for the first leg of the club's Champions League last-16 tie with Barcelona.

Morata made a successful comeback from a back injury last week, while Giroud managed to score his first Chelsea goal during Friday's 4-0 win over Hull City in the FA Cup.

However, both frontmen will start the fixture at Stamford Bridge on the bench, with Conte opting to go with the trio of Willian, Pedro and Eden Hazard.

Conte has also been handed a boost by the return to fitness of Marcos Alonso, but Ross Barkley misses out despite featuring in training in the build-up to this fixture.

Captain Gary Cahill is forced to make do with a spot among the replacements, with Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger both being preferred to the Englishman.

There are few surprises in the Barcelona starting lineup, with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez both taking their place in attack.

Sergi Roberto starts at right-back with Nelson Semedo suspended, while Thomas Vermaelen has recovered from injury in order to return to the substitutes' bench.

Chelsea: Courtois; Azpilicueta, Christensen, Rudiger; Moses, Kante, Fabregas, Alonso; Willian, Hazard, Pedro
Subs: Caballero, Cahill, Zappacosta, Drinkwater, Hudson-Odoi, Giroud, Morata

Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Sergi Roberto, Pique, Umtiti, Alba; Busquets, Rakitic, Paulinho, Iniesta; Messi, L.Suarez
Subs: Cillessen, D.Suarez, Dembele, Digne, Gomes, Vidal, Vermaelen

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Barcelona's Ivan Rakitic speaks at a press conference ahead of his side's Champions League clash with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on November 1, 2016
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