Guardiola Expects 'Tough' Tie

15 April 2009 09:09
Barcelona head coach Josep Guardiola believes seeing off Chelsea to reach this year's Champions League final will be a difficult challenge.[LNB]The Primera Liga leaders will face Guus Hiddink's side next after they brushed aside Bayern Munich and the Blues got the better of Liverpool.[LNB]The pair will now meet in the semi-finals of the competition just two games away from an appearance at this year's final in Rome on May 27.[LNB]Guardiola knew he would face either Chelsea or Liverpool in the semis, but now concedes he did not have a preference on who he would rather face.[LNB]"I don't think we had any preference between Liverpool or Chelsea," he said. "Maybe Chelsea are more attacking, but Liverpool are very disciplined in defence.[LNB]"Either way, we have a tough opponent and we have got to accept that it is Chelsea and not Liverpool. Liverpool would not have been any easier, but Chelsea is hard enough."[LNB]Bayern boss Jurgen Klinsmann has admitted his troops harboured faint hopes of overturning their daunting 4-0 first leg deficit to Barcelona.[LNB]Frank Ribery pulled a goal back for Bayern shortly after half-time, although their hopes were extinguished when Seydou Keita levelled.[LNB]Klinsmann had no complaints over the two legs stating that the better team had clearly progressed.[LNB]"Yes, we had a small hope, even if we did not say so," he said.[LNB]"We had a meeting three hours before kick-off and we said that we can dream if we approach the game well and give it everything.[LNB]"There have been crazy stories in football and when we went 1-0 up there was a bit of hope. But after they made it 1-1, it was over.[LNB]"We had set our sights as high as possible and we did a lot, but we have been knocked out by a team who are clearly better.[LNB]"They are the best club in world football at the moment and we have seen that we have a lot of work to do if we are to go further next year."[LNB]

Source: Eurosport