Guardiola: Chelsea are favourites to go through after first-leg win

Posted Thursday, April 19, 2012 by Goal.com

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola has said that Chelsea have the edge in their Champions League semi-final tie following Wednesday's 1-0 victory at Stamford Bridge.

A single goal from Didier Drogba just before the break proved the difference between the two sides and earned the Blues a crucial lead for the return leg at Camp Nou next week.

"Chelsea are favourites now, but we have 90 minutes ahead and we must try to do our best to go through," Guardiola told reporters at a press conference.

"Our goal is to create 24 chances like we did today and score a goal. We must take same more risks, but I have told my players that if we created chances today, we will do it at Camp Nou, too.

"We know that in order to score, we need to create a lot of chances. "

Barcelona enjoyed the majority of possession during the 90 minutes, but could not convert their superiority into goals against the tenacious Blues.

Guardiola rued his side's lack of inspiration in front of goal and believes that Chelsea will adopt a defensive approach in the second leg.

"The result is what it is," he noted. "We probably had the highest number of chances away from road in a semi-final game, but we know that not scoring on the road will damage you.

"They scored a goal and I imagine that the same thing will happen at Camp Nou, with 10 Chelsea players in their area.

"This is a good goal for us, we will take and if we want to be considered a big side, we will have to win.

However, the Spanish coach refused to criticise Roberto Di Matteo's strategy, saying. "I am not the one to say how they must play.

"They are the ones who must know how they have to play, but we cannot forget the fact that they have reached the Champions League semi finals six times in the last nine years.

"Unfair result? No, this is football. You do not with possession of the ball, if it was like this we would win all the time.

"You have to score goals and that is what we will try to do in the return leg."