Chelsea host Barcelona, Maresca: We will do our best to win the game.

2025-11-25 02:06

Chelsea, nicknamed the "Blues," will host La Liga champions Barcelona at Stamford Bridge in a crucial fifth-round match of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League. At a press conference, Marrekas stated that Barcelona is an incredible team, but insisted that Chelsea will give their all to secure victory.

In the last round of the Champions League, Chelsea drew 2-2 with Qarabag after goals from Estewan Willian and Garnacho. Chelsea currently sit 12th in the Champions League standings with 7 points, level on points with 11th-placed Barcelona.

However, in an earlier Premier League match, Chelsea defeated Burnley 2-0 after Pedro Neto and Enzo broke through their opponent's goal, and successfully faced Barcelona with a three-game winning streak.

Chelsea manager Maresca said, "Barcelona is an incredible team, but we will do our best to win the game. Their high defensive line is indeed a key factor, but we also have to stay focused off the ball because they are a team that creates a lot of chances and always scores. So, we need to find a balance between attack and defense."

“We will defend as usual and remain aggressive. They have so many excellent players, including Lewandowski, Yamal, Fermín, Ferran Torres, and Frenkie de Jong. But at the same time, we also have excellent players, so we will try our best to win the game.”

Maresca continued, "We are a better team now than we were against Bayern Munich away. But every game is different. Barcelona has different ways of attacking and defending, so the game will be completely different."

In addition, 18-year-old Brazilian winger Esteban Willian has scored two goals for Chelsea in the Champions League this season.

Maresca said, "Estewan Willian is already able to play at a high level and start for the Brazilian national team. He is young and has a lot of room for improvement, but we are very happy with him. It is wonderful for people who love football to see players like Estewan Willian, Yamal and Pedri playing, and we are happy to have Estewan Willian in our squad."

"Esteban Willian will definitely become an important player for this club in the future. For him now, the most important thing is to enjoy football and stay happy, and not to think about whether he is better than any other player."

Maresca also said, "He just needs to be better than he was yesterday every day, and keep working hard and improving, and he will definitely become a top player for this club."