Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has rallied his men around for a tough encounter against Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie, insisting they be ready for Barcelona.
The Blues have been paired with the Spanish giants in the first knockout round, following their second place finish in Group C of the competition. Chelsea drew their final group game against Atletico Madrid, surrendering top place in the group to AS Roma.
Now they face a daunting task of facing Barcelona, a side they defeated in the semi-final on route to their 2012 victory.
Conte, understands the inconsistent form his side have endured this season and warns his players to maintain a positive attitude ahead of the game, as quoted by Goal writer, Nizaar Kinsella.
Conte on the Barcelona draw: "It's a draw, our reaction must be positive as you know very well, when you are in this stage, you must be ready to face every team. In this case, we must be ready for Barcelona" #CFC #UCL
— Nizaar Kinsella (@NizaarKinsella) December 11, 2017
The Italian also tells his players to all rise to the occasion, and not leave the burden of pregressing past Barcelona to star forward Eden Hazard.
Conte on Barcelona: "This game is the right chance for every player to show their value, not just Hazard. Every player must play this game in the right way" #CFC #UCL
— Nizaar Kinsella (@NizaarKinsella) December 11, 2017