Valverde singles out Hazard and Morata as chief Chelsea threats

Barcelona, December 12: Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde singled out Eden Hazard and former Real Madrid forward Alvaro Morata as Chelsea's biggest threats after being drawn against the Blues in the Champions League knockout phase.

Valverde's Barca cruised through the group stage, going unbeaten with 14 points from six games to finish ahead of Juventus, whereas the reigning Premier League champions made harder work of their passage and came second to Roma.

Chelsea were arguably one of the tougher sides Barca could have been paired with, but Valverde feels it is a tie which will excite supporters.

And he will likely be paying particular attention to Morata and Hazard in Chelsea's attack.

We've been to Lisbon.
We've been to Athens.
We've been to Turin.

Our next stop on the ROAD TO KYIV is ... 🇬🇧 LONDON!#UCLdraw @ChelseaFC pic.twitter.com/gLktjcYJJz

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) December 11, 2017

"Tactically, they're very good and also very physical," Valverde told Barca TV.

"With Morata, they have speed in attack and Hazard is very good between the lines.They're a strong team.

"It's a hard draw for us, but we knew that nothing was going to be easy because there were very good teams in the draw.

"Chelsea are the champions of the Premier League, but we will play with enthusiasm because, although it will be difficult, it's a very nice tie for us and for the supporters. In that aspect, it's easy to motivate the players."

We've had some great times at Stamford Bridge, haven't we, @andresiniesta8? pic.twitter.com/R9BZq99HN0

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) December 11, 2017

Source: OPTA