I never lost to Barcelona in my mind - Hiddink

Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink said that he's fully prepared to face Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League, adding that he already played the Catalans in his head.

كتب : Amro Hassan

الإثنين، 27 أبريل 2009 - 16:23
Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink said that he's fully prepared to face Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League, adding that he already played the Catalans in his head.

The two teams will clash in the competition's semi-final on Tuesday, and Hiddink admitted that his biggest challenge will be halting Lionel Messi's threat.

In the absence of the suspended Ashley Cole, Right-back Jose Bosingwa is set to be switched to the left to act as Cole's replacement.

"You have to think ahead and I have played Barcelona twice in my head," Hiddink told The Sun.

"In my head, I have never lost a game in preparation. But you have to focus a lot on the difficulty and the complexity of the job Bosingwa has to do.

"In my opinion, Bosingwa is playing one of the most attractive players in the world."

Liverpool Inspiration

The Russia coach added that Chelsea's 7-5 aggregate win over Liverpool in the quarter-final can inspire his team against Barcelona.

However, Hiddink is aware that meeting the Spanish giants will be different than playing The Reds or even Premiership leaders Manchester United.

"When you play Liverpool or United or they play us, the pace of the game can go up any second. Boom.

"But Barca are very smart. They can turn the pace of the game up or down. You think you are in control and then all of a sudden they strike," the former Real Madrid coach added.