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The last time the two sides went head-to-head was in 2018 in the Champions League round of 16. A lot has changed since Lionel Messi’s brace and Ousmane Dembele’s fierce strike eliminated the Blues with the score finishing 3-0 on the night and 4-1 on aggregate.
The Nou Camp has had a two-season-long revamp which was finally completed this weekend as Barcelona thrashed Athletic Bilbao 4-0. The 906-day wait was worth it for the Spanish champions.
There are also four Ballon d'Or awards between the two scorers from the night the teams last met on March 14, 2018. Three went to Messi, taking his tally up to eight, and one was taken by Dembele in September after his extremely successful year at PSG.
There has only been one Champions League trophy won by either side since the two teams last met seven years ago. Barcelona had five at the time, winning their most recent one in 2015. Chelsea only had one after defeating Bayern Munich in their own back garden in 2012.
Chelsea famously beat their opponents that they will face on Tuesday night in the semi-final on their way to their first-ever Champions League win. Despite having 10 men in the second leg after John Terry's 37th-minute sending off, the west London team advanced to the final, winning 3-2 on aggregate. It was Fernando Torres' famous 92nd-minute goal at the Nou Camp that sent the Blues through.
Fast forward to 2025 and Chelsea have another Champions League, another Europa League, a Europa Conference League, and a Club World Cup. The Blues have been a dominant force across Europe, unlike Barcelona over the past seven years. The year after Barcelona ruined their dream of advancing to the next round of the Champions League, Chelsea won the Europa League after thrashing London rivals Arsenal 4-1 in the final.
Just three years after winning the Europa League, Chelsea were crowned champions of Europe when the current England manager Thomas Tuchel led the London side to victory against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in 2021. Four years after that, Chelsea were crowned champions of the world.
Maresca and Hansi Flick both took over their respective teams in the summer of 2024. Maresca and Flick will go up against each other for the first time in their managerial careers tonight. Despite the Chelsea boss’ impressive two trophies during his year and a bit in charge, the German manager has more - three trophies - at Barcelona.
Flick won the Spanish Super Cup, the Copa del Rey, and LaLiga in his debut season. He also put up an impressive fight in the Champions League as he searched for the second quadruple of his managerial career after doing so with Bayern Munich in 2020. Barcelona reached the semi-final of the competition in 2025, before losing against Inter Milan.
So just one trophy separates the two managers during their times at their respective clubs, and just one place separates the two sides in the Champions League table. Despite Barcelona being one place above Chelsea, both sides are equal on seven points But what - or who - will be the difference maker tonight?
