5 reasons why Chelsea can beat Barcelona at Camp Nou

In the past, this fixture has provided the kind of matches that every sporting professional would want to be a part of, a contemporary classic that has lived up to everyone's expectation. And when Chelsea travel to Barcelona next week, there is no reason to consider that it will be anything different.

Up against Barcelona on the 21st of February at Stamford Bridge in the 1st leg of the Champions League Round of 16, Chelsea played a nearly flawless game. It may be considered over the top to praise the Blues for a 1-1 draw but the way in which they stopped the Catalan giants with their tactical brilliance deserves appreciation.

No team has beaten Barcelona at Camp Nou this season and The Blues will need to be at their vigorous best in order to have a chance to beat the Blaugrana. Their struggles in the Premier League will have to be put aside if they are to go further in this competition.

If anyone discards the South London giants' chances of a win because of their poor Premier League form, it should be at their own peril.

Here are the five reasons why Chelsea can beat Barcelona at the Camp Nou:

---

#1 Barcelona's mid-field crisis

Who will replace Iniesta in the 2nd tie at Camp Nou?

Chelsea must be ecstatic by the news that the Catalans giants will face Chelsea in the reverse fixture of round-of 16 of the Champions League, probably without Andres Iniesta.

Iniesta is a key figure in the Barcelona lineup and was instrumental in Barcelona's 1-1 draw at the bridge when they travelled here. He got better with time in that fixture, and was the provider for Lionel Messi to neutralize Willian's goal.

Barcelona have never been at their best when Iniesta is missing from their starting XI. Atletico Madrid started dominating Barcelona after Iniesta limped off last week in their La Liga fixture. If Atletico are capable of doing it, Chelsea - with all their technically gifted players - have as good a chance, if not better.

Also, Barcelona have drawn just 2 games (Against Celta Vigo and Getafe) out of 20 games at home this season, and the Getafe game is the one Iniesta did not feature in. Such is the influence of Iniesta for the Catalan giants.

The Barcelon boss Erneste Valverde has aadmitted that he doesn't know how how to fill Iniesta's void in the playing XI, and frankly, who can? With Andre Gomes constantly inconsistent and Paulinho going through a rough patch of form, Barcelona are nowhere near to solving the issue.

The home team is also without the support of Philippe Coutinho, Iniesta's natural replacement, as he is cup-tied for the Champions League. Under UEFA's rules, no player can play for more than one club in a competition in a single season.

Chelsea can make use of this uncertainty at Barcelona camp to their advantage and exploit a vulnerable midfield.

#2 Chelsea's impressive record at Camp Nou

In 2012, Chelsea came back from two goals behind to drew level with Barcelona with the help of Torres.

Chelsea is the only English side who has an impressive record at Camp Nou. They haven't lost a single game in their last four trips to Barcelona since 2005. In fact, there is no team in all of Europe with such an impressive record against the Blaugrana side.

On March 07, 2006, Chelsea fought hard at Barcelona and recorded a 1 -1 draw. Only Ronaldinho's moment of magic saved Barcelona back then. In the next season, a last-gasp Drogba stunner helped the Blues to earn a 2-2 draw. Again in 2009, they comfortably drew 0-0 against the Catalan giants.

In 2012, Chelsea came back from two goals behind and a man down to draw level with Barcelona with the help of Torres' 92nd-minute finish. The draw in this high-octane game helped them beat Barcelona in the fixture and proceed to the final.

The striking similarity in all these games is that the Chelsea displayed a disciplined backline which did not let Messi and co. to penetrate their defensive unit easily. They managed to keep Messi from scoring in the all the five games they have played at Camp Nou and will be hoping for a similar result this time around.

#3 Barcelona's woeful penalty record in recent years

Messi's penalty form will be a concern for Barcelona

Barcelona's poor penalty record is their Achilles' heel. Not many care about this small aspect of the game but their fragility in penalties may prove costly against Chelsea.

The game will go to penalties if Chelsea can manage a 1 -1 at Camp Nou. Considering that the Blues managed to draw their last four games here, it is not out of the question. Technically, they don't even need a win here to qualify for the Quarter-finals.

Barcelona have converted only two of their six penalties kicks this season which is a paltry 33%. It was only 58% and 66% in the 2015-16 and 2014-15 season respectively. With Neymar gone, there are no good penalty takers in the Catalan side - surprisingly, not even Messi. They did not have to worry about it so far, but now they do.

On the contrary, Chelsea maintains a healthy penalty conversion record of 77% this season. If the Londoners can manage a 1-1 draw over 120 minutes, then they will be the favorite going into the shoot-out.

#4 Desperation can bring the best out of Conte and his men

Beating Barcelona will act as a lifeline for Conte's dismal season

Antonio Conte is, without a doubt, one of the best managers in the world. He brought Premier League glory to Chelsea in his very first year with a team not many thought capable of the feat. However, things have changed very fast in the last few months.

Now, Conte is in need of a big win to save his career at Stamford Bridge. He needs to show the world that he is still the best man to manage the Blues. It will be a shame if he gets sacked after his scintillating debut season last year.

Chelsea has been beaten by Manchester City and Manchester United in the past two Premier League fixtures. They are fifth in the table, five points behind the fourth-placed Tottenham. They were knocked out of the Carabao cup too by an equally dismal Arsenal. Now, they need to beat Barcelona to stay alive in the Champions League.

Their desperation to win against Barcelona was very much evident in their 1st leg fixture. Everyone were spectacular in their assigned roles and the team as a whole functioned as a well-oiled machine. They did a neat job in the attacking department and barring that error leading to goal, their defense was top-notch too.

If they can do it once, why not twice?

#5 Unlikely wins aren't something new for Chelsea

Chelsea can derive inspiration from their fairytale 2012 Champions League win

When the chips are down, we look back in time to derive some inspiration. For Chelsea, history is on their side. They scripted one of the loveliest fairy tales in footballing history when they won the Champions League in 2012.

The current scenario for the Blues is similar to what happened six years before. Just like 2012, they are in need of a Champions League win to qualify for next year's Champions League. They need to re-write history once again and the current team can draw inspiration from their predecessors.

In the 2011/12 season, Chelsea was having a mediocre season. They were at 5th position, much like where they are now. Being managed by André Villas-Boas, they needed a Champions League win to salvage their season. However, in the 1st leg of the round of 16, they were beaten 3-1 by Napoli away from home and Villas-Boas was sacked.

Roberto Di Matteo was made their (interim) manager. In the 2nd leg, they played with confidence and a fire previously unknown and beat Napoli 4-1 to qualified for the Quarter Finals. They surpassed Benfica to enter the semi-finals. A 10-man Blues unit beat all the odds an Barcelona to enter the finals.

And then, they did the unthinkable. They beat Bayern Munich in the penalty shoot-out after 120 minutes of nerve-wracking football.

The current team is in better shape than the 2012 Chelsea unit. They have one of the best teams and a manager capable of pulling off a miracle once again. The question is, will they do it?