MX23RW : Thursday, April 25 12:23:58| >> :120:12369:12369:

Raul Meireles expects 'motivated' Barcelona side

Raul Meireles believes that Barcelona have extra incentive to come out fighting against Chelsea in the Champions League semi-final tonight following their El Clasico defeat.

Chelsea midfielder Raul Meireles has expressed his concern over the Blues' chances of reaching the Champions League final.

The former Premier League champions take on Barcelona in the second leg of the semi-final tonight with a one-goal advantage under their belts.

While the London club have exuded an air of confidence ahead of the Nou Camp clash, the Portugal international believes that Barca's 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid at the weekend could play in the Catalans' favour.

"Barcelona's defeat against Real Madrid could have some effect on the game on Tuesday, but it's a double-edged sword because after practically losing the league, their challenge is Europe and they will come out with even more motivation," Meireles told Goal.com.

"The game at Camp Nou is a final for us. It's not easy to knock out Barcelona but first blood went to us and now we will have to play even more perfectly on Tuesday."

The winners of the highly-anticipated clash will meet either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in the final in Germany.

ID:24893: cacheID:24893:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:2194:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
David Luiz
Read Next:
Doubtful Chelsea trio all train
>
Read more about Raul Meireles Football
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal34245582265677
2Liverpool34228475344174
3Manchester CityMan City32227376324473
4Aston Villa34206871502166
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs32186865491660
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd33165125150153
7Newcastle UnitedNewcastle331551369541550
8West Ham UnitedWest Ham34139125463-948
9Chelsea32138116157447
10Bournemouth34129134960-1145
11Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton321111105250244
12Wolverhampton WanderersWolves34127154654-843
13Fulham34126165054-442
14Crystal Palace34109154456-1239
15Brentford3498175259-735
16Everton34118153648-1233
17Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest3479184260-1826
18Luton TownLuton3467214775-2825
19Burnley3458213769-3223
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd3437243392-5916


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!