Touré Turns Attention to Formidable Chelsea

FC Barcelona midfielder Yaya Touré told uefa.com his team will have to continue their devastating home form if they are to overcome Chelsea FC and reach the UEFA Champions League final.

Déjà vu
The Ivorian international helped the 2005/06 European champions secure a place in the last four with a 1-1 draw at FC Bayern München on Tuesday, which set the seal on an emphatic 5-1 aggregate triumph. It was a burst of four goals in a thrilling first 45 minutes in the first leg at the Camp Nou that paved their way to the last four, though, which itself had followed a 5-2 win against Olympique Lyonnais in the first knockout round in Spain. With the opening leg of the semi-final also to be played in Catalonia, Touré is hoping for déjà vu against Chelsea.

Home strength
"There wasn't much to play for tonight after our first-leg performance, it was more a question of reinforcing the advantage we had," he said. "Chelsea are a great side. To win the Champions League, we have to play the biggest teams. We're going to play the first game at home, so we'll try to play as we did against Lyon and against Bayern. We know it won't be easy, but we're going to keep on working as we have done up until now."

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Industry
That industry was in evidence at the Fuβball Arena München where Barcelona withstood a spirited opening from Bayern, and earned themselves a draw thanks to Seydou Keita's 73rd-minute strike after Franck Ribéry had given the hosts the lead two minutes after the interval. Touré paid tribute to his less glamourous team-mates who, like him, toil in the shadow of the media glare cast upon the likes of Lionel Messi, Samuel Eto'o and Thierry Henry.

'Great defence'
"I think we have to say that we have some fantastic defenders. They work a lot, because it's not easy to have great attacking players in your side, and defend with just four at the back as you can concede a goal on the counterattack," said the former AS Monaco FC player, who is aware that Chelsea's athletic prowess even exceeds that of his own side. "They are in great physical form, work very hard, and I think that – physically – they're better than we are. What we know how to do, though, is keep the ball. We're going to try and have fun, and win the game."

( Gavin Jackson / UEFA )