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Chelsea host Barcelona in a crucial Champions League second round tie, and former Blue Gus Poyet has claimed that the English champions are like Real Madrid in the sense they only play like champions at certain moments.

Poyet says Chelsea can turn up in big games like these when you least expect, even when the team is struggling.

In an exclusive interview with MARCA, the former Chelsea midfielder said: “I see Chelsea as a destabilised team, they are struggling and this has happened too many times after winning the title. The next season things go wrong. It happened with Ancelotti, Mourinho and now Conte. Last season Chelsea were strong and had a solid system, now you don’t know what is going to happen. Sometimes they lose 3-0 at home and they are similar to Real Madrid; they only play like champions at certain moments.”

When asked why Chelsea are a difficult side for Barcelona to break down, Poyet answered: “They have a way of defending in these matches that comes with the tacticians who have worked there previously. Italian coaches and Jose Mourinho defend the central areas and this makes it difficult to play.”

And when asked if Chelsea can stop Lionel Messi, he responded: “Chelsea’s system with three central defenders and two wing-backs will attempt to block him in the central zone. In this zone there will be many bodies and it will be an interesting tactical battle. I am seeing these matches from the coach’s point of view now.”