Enzo Maresca revealed Chelsea are “confident” ahead of their upcoming Champions League bout with defending Spanish champions Barcelona.
The Blues returned from the November international break with a routine 2–0 victory over Burnley on Saturday thanks to goals from Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernández. The win extended Chelsea’s unbeaten run to five matches across all competitions.
Now with that Premier League clash out of the way, Maresca’s men can focus on their marquee match against Barcelona. The Catalans, who have scored 14 goals in their last four matches, are making the trip to Stamford Bridge for the first time since 2018.
The Spanish giants present the biggest test for Chelsea so far in their Champions League return, but Maresca does not seem perturbed by Hansi Flick’s star-studded squad, led by Lamine Yamal.
“We’re confident, we’re doing well,” the Italian manager said after Saturday’s victory at Turf Moor. “Of course we can do things better, but it was important to win. We’re confident for Tuesday’s game.”
Chelsea will be without Cole Palmer for the all-important clash; the England international injured his toe in a freak accident at home, keeping him rooted to the sidelines for at least another three weeks.
Maresca Issues Plea to Chelsea Fans Ahead of Tough Matches
Five days after the Blues take on Barcelona in the Champions League, they must host Arsenal to close out November. The battle will pit the Premier League’s top two teams against one another in a game that could be a major swing in the title race.
“We need our fans for the next two home games. We had a great feeling with them before and after the match [against Burnley],” the 45-year-old boss said.
“I think they can be happy with the team. We’re second, [six] points behind the leader, and we’re very happy to share these moments with them.”
A win for Chelsea against the Gunners would put the Club World Cup champions within striking distance of first place ahead of the holiday season. As for the Champions League, three points against Barcelona would likely catapult the Blues to just outside the top eight with three matches to go in the league phase.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Enzo Maresca Fires Barcelona Warning Ahead of Marquee Champions League Clash.
