THE GRASS IS GREENER – Erin Cuthbert and Sonia Bompastor preview Chelsea v Barça   

On the eve of Chelsea’s annual Champions League matchup with Barcelona, the Blues head coach Sonia Bompastor (below, right) and midfield dynamo Erin Cuthbert (below, left) speak to Helen M Jerome about their expectations and excitement. And the grass!

First off, Sonia Bompastor gives her opinion on where her team are right now compared to the Catalan giants, and how prepared they are this time.

Is this the closest you’ve felt to Barca?

Sonia Bompastor: This is a big competition, and I don’t feel any different this season compared to previous seasons.

I think they are a really good team, but I also trust the quality we have in our squad.

I just want to make sure going into the game tomorrow we put on our best performance to prove and show how good we are as a team and the fact we can compete against them.

Without Patri – who usually runs the Barça midfield and sees everything one move ahead – to me this feels like your best chance perhaps?

I think when you look at the Barcelona squad, they have so many good players.

It’s not fair to only highlight one.

Of course, Patri is a good player, but I think from Barcelona philosophy, even when they miss one player, they still keep the same style and they still play with the same quality.

So, we are expecting the game tomorrow to be a tough game, but we are ready for the challenge.

We’ll focus also on ourselves because I think if we are able to apply the game plan and to play at our best level, we have a chance to have a good game and dig them.

With your goalkeeper situation (Hannah Hampton is injured), the fact that your reserve keeper, Livia Peng, is Switzerland’s number one… it must give you confidence, and also she played last week, didn’t she?

Yeah, Livia played the last game against Liverpool, and she played also the Champions League game before against St. Polten. So she’s getting more minutes.

And yeah, what I can say about Livia.

She’s a keeper who fits our game model.

She’s really good playing under pressure with her feet.

She also recognises the spaces on the pitch and helps the team to build up from the back line.

So I’m really happy with her performances and her quality.

And what do you enjoy most on these Champions League matches under the lights?

I’m really motivated and excited to have the opportunity to play.

The most important is for me to give the confidence to my players to perform at their best level.

And hopefully tomorrow night we’ll be happy with the result and the performance all together.

I think the Champions League is the best competition for a club to play in, the atmosphere with the big games, the fans coming into the game.

And just the fact the competition is high in the game, I think brings all the excitement.

When you are a fan of a game, you want to be involved in the big games, Champions League nights, and you just enjoy being around that.

Combative Scottish midfielder Erin Cuthbert is still basking after Scotland’s men qualified for the World Cup thanks to goals from Kieran Tierney, Lawrence Shankland, Kenny McLean, and Scott McTominay’s outrageous overhead kick. She smiles as she talks about being undaunted by facing possibly the best midfielders in the Champions League.

This has become an annual matchup. Who do you look forward to playing against for Barcelona?

Erin Cuthbert: I mean, that’s a question to ask!

I don’t really think I look forward to playing against any particular player, I just love testing myself against the best players in the world and that’s what they are.

Of course, I have a good appreciation for the midfield three, because that’s my direct opponents.

Obviously, Patri is most likely going to be missing, and I think she’s a big asset to that team, but you’ve still got Bonmati and Putellas who are top, top players.

I’m looking forward to the matchup and testing myself against them more than an individual.

On these special nights at Stamford Bridge under the lights, how do you feel when you walk out?

Yeah, good, you know, sometimes the lights at Stamford Bridge don’t react well with my contact lenses, sorry!

But I just love playing at Stamford Bridge.

It’s a different feel, a different aura.

When you’re approaching the game, when you’re stepping out, the grass is so green, the contrast with the lights.

I think when you’re a young kid, you grow up just wanting to play in big moments like tomorrow night. And Chelsea Barcelona does not get much better than that.

Will you be channelling your Scott McTominay tomorrow?

[laughs] I think I’d knock someone’s head off if I try to do that to be honest. But honestly what a goal that was, just amazing.

But yeah, I wouldn’t mind anything.

If it goes in the net off my back or anything, I’ll be happy with that.

I’ll give you a fiver if you can do an overhead kick, all right?

Is that all?

All right, a tenner.

Deal.