Kalou knows of Barca "weakness"

Posted Friday, April 06, 2012 by ESPN

Salomon Kalou has vowed to answer those dismissing Chelsea's chances of beating Barcelona, insisting he has already spotted weaknesses in their rearguard.

Lionel Messi-inspired Barca are odds-on favourites to win their latest Champions League clash with the Blues and reach next month's final in Munich.

Despite Chelsea's impressive recent record against the Catalans, they have already been written off by some, including the manager of Benfica, who they knocked out last night in the quarter-finals.

But Kalou said: "Our fans expect us to win, we expect to win.

"People see the way Barcelona play today and they can say, 'Chelsea have no chance against Barcelona'.

"But, as a player for Chelsea, we work hard every day in training and we believe that on the pitch is the only way of answering all those negative thoughts."

The 26-year-old added: "They have their weaknesses.

"We know that they haven't been so confident at the back, conceding a lot of goals, so that is something we can play on."

Despite powering into the Champions League semi-finals, Barca are not even top of the Primera Liga, with Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid leading them by six points.

Kalou said: "Everyone forgets that Madrid are having a great season with Jose.

"Right now, if we had played Madrid, people would not say that Chelsea has no chance.

"But, because it's Barca, because they have Messi and all those players, people are thinking that we can't make it.

"The Chelsea players know that this is one game and, in one game, everything can happen."

The Blues also have the added motivation of wanting to avenge their highly controversial defeat in the last meeting between the sides, the 2009 semi-final.

That saw Chelsea have four penalty appeals rejected, with Andres Iniesta snatching the decisive away goal for Barca deep into stoppage-time.

Kalou, who was an unused substitute that night, recalls the match vividly.
Speaking on the Stamford Bridge touchline and pointing to the spot where Iniesta scored, he said: "It was right here, Iniesta's goal.

"I think that time we deserved to go through because we had a lot of chances, we had a couple of penalties."

Admitting the pain still lingered, he added: "There are teams like that. You play them and they always win, but there is a moment when you also can overcome them."

Chelsea play three matches before renewing hostilities with Barca, starting with two Barclays Premier League games in three days against Wigan on Saturday and Fulham on Easter Monday.

The fifth-placed Blues know victory is vital in both if they are to maintain their hopes of another meeting with Barcelona in next season's Champions League.