Ever the gentleman, Pep Guardiola stated yesterday in his press conference that Rubin Kazan were the one of the finest teams he had pitted his wits against since his crowning as Barca manager; some accolade. The Russians were tactically spot-on that night, and it brought back memories of Chelseas hounding of Barca in last years two-legged semi-final. Chelseas manager that night: Guus Hiddink, the current coach of the Russian national team. Much like the last fixture, Guardiola expects his team to boss possession tonight, with Kazan patiently biding their time; biting at the heels of Barcas stars; ready to pounce on any loose scraps. They did it to great effect in Barcelona, and the 'Cule' chief believes the Russians fully deserved their victory; he believes there's no such thing as luck in football.
This time around, though, Barca will have to battle against a cold almost as unforgiving as the team they will face. It is expected to reach -10c by kick-off, with snowfall expected. Rubin coach Kerban Berdyev explained that the cold normally slows the ball down, naturally nullifying some of Barcas threat. But he added that players of the calibre at Barcas disposal shouldnt need any time to acclimatise, and in typically Russian fashion, he warned 'my players are psychologically very strong'. We wouldnt expect anything less.
Barcelona are poised to use the same formation that has served them so well in Europe and at home, a 4-3-3 with Yaya Toure flanked by the red-hot Keita and Xavi, with the three-pronged attack consisting of Messi and Iniesta alongside Ibrahimovic. Messi was kept quiet in the first leg, in the main because of a fantastic man-marking performance from fellow Argentine Ansaldi, and Rubin will be hoping he can repeat the trick tonight.
Back in warmer climes, Sevilla will play host to Stuttgart in the Sanchez Pizjuan. In the reverse fixture Sevilla almost sealed their route in the knock-out stages with a stunning 1-3 triumph in Germany, and this time around they will be looking to for at least a draw, which would allow manager Manolo Jimenez to rest players for some important domestic fixtures. Kanoute wont be risked as he recovers from a calf strain which has kept sidelined sice the start of the season. But with a front-pairing of Negredo and Luis Fabiano, Sevilla certainly wont lack goalthreat.
Stuttgart will bring a few faces familiar to Premiership fans to Andalucia, with Alexander Hleb, Jens Lehmann , Thomas Hitzelsperger and Kalid Boulahrouz all expected to start. With Stuttgart suffering at home in the Bundesliga, they could be forgiven for wanting to get this tie over and done with, but second place is still up for grabs in the group and that incentive should provide an entertaining game.
