Football doesn’t get much bigger than Barcelona coming to your city, even if it’s “just” for the league phase (née group stage) of the new Champions League format. It’s as marquee of a matchup as marquee matchups can get, especially given all the (modern) history between the two teams on Europe’s biggest stages over the last quarter century.
So turn on the lights, fill up the smoke machines, and queue up that anthem. It’s Chaaaaampions time!
Both teams come in with seven points from the first four
games in this phase (Barca’s goal differential is better by two). Both teams would like to finish in the top-eight, to get the bye into the Round of 16. Whoever wins this game will have taken a massive step forward towards that goal.
Date / Time: Tuesday, November 25, 2025, 20.00 GMT; 3pm EST; 1:30am IST (next day)
Venue: Stamford Bridge, SW6
Referee: Slavko Vinčić (on pitch); Christian Dingert (VAR)
Forecast: Baby, it’s cold outside (and we ain’t got Cold)
On TV: none (UK); Univision, TUDN (USA); Sony TEN 2 (India); SuperSport Football Plus (NGA); elsewhere
Streaming: Amazon Prime (UK); Paramount+; Univision Now (USA); Sony LIV (India); DStv Now (NGA)
Barcelona team news: Barca beat Real Madrid to the Spanish league title by four points last year, adding a domestic cup and super cup to their collection in Hansi Flick’s first year as head coach. The only disappointment was their inexplicable exit in the semfinals of the Champions League, after one of the most dramatic two-legged ties against Inter Milan (who then promptly got destroyed in the final by PSG).
Barcelona’s squad need little introduction, especially as they underwent relatively little change over the summer. Perhaps the most notable arrival was of Marcus Rashford, on loan from Manchester United, who’s been enjoying his time in the sunshine with six goals to his name so far (4 in 4 in Europe), making him yet another dangerous weapon alongside the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Ferran Torres, (briefly Chelsea-linked) Fermín López, and of course Lamine Yamal. It’s usually Pedri running the show in midfield, ahead of a serviceable defense — any weakness in which is easily overcome by their tremendous attacking firepower.
Barca have not been invincible this season, but other than a shock loss in Seville in early October, they’ve only been bested by Real Madrid and PSG. Pedri suffered an injury in that Real defeat a few weeks ago and he remains out, alongside long-term absentees Gavi and goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen.
View from the enemy: Barca Blaugranes
Chelsea team news: There was brief hope that Cole Palmer might be able to make his return to action in this game, at least off the bench, but that’s now been delayed by a toe injury. He has returned to training, as of yesterday, but Enzo Maresca ruled him out from this game nonetheless.
Thankfully, other than Palmer, the squad’s doing relatively well in terms of injuries. Only Levi Colwill, Dário Essugo, and Roméo Lavia are out. And we’re also relatively well rested, with Moisés Caicedo getting the weekend off and Reece James playing only the first half in our 2-0 win against Burnley. Alejandro Garnacho and Estêvão also didn’t get any minutes in that game, which featured a star turn from Andrey Santos and crucial contributions from Enzo Fernández, Pedro Neto, and former Barca prospect Marc Guiu.
Those energy levels will be crucial if we are to get anything out of this game. As we saw against PSG (in the Club World Cup final) and against Liverpool a few weeks ago, when we can turn up the intensity to 11, and keep it at 11 (while avoiding critical errors of course) we can be the best team in the world. And we’re going to have to be tonight.
Previously: It’s been over seven years since our last (competitive) encounter, and Barca walked all over us, 3-0 back then in 2018. But that was multiple football generations ago for both sides. Overall, we have played them 17 (17!) times since the year 2000, with an almost perfectly even 5-6-6 split. All five of our wins have come at Stamford Bridge, including one of my favorite games all-time, the 4-2 win in the Round of 16 in 2004-05. That Damien Duff goal lives in my memory as clearly now as it did when it happened.
