Speaking on the eve of the game, Guus Hiddink believes our Champions League semi-final first leg in Barcelona will see both teams gunning for victory.

A matter of minutes after touching down in Catalonia, on a warm and sunny late afternoon, Hiddink was at the Camp Nou stadium addressing the world's media in a full to bursting press conference room.

Having seen plenty of Barcelona in recent weeks, as well as analysing the performances of his own side, the Dutchman is expecting neither to sit back and defend.

'I think those two teams both have a style to attack when they can, Barcelona like to attack and Chelsea is not a team who has the strategy to sit back and wait until it happens,' he explained. 'The team has shown a lot of initiatives and that's why I think it is more or less an open clash, with two teams who like to go forward.'

The 62-year-old made no secret of the respect he has for Barcelona as a club, an admiration he has held for many years, especially having worked in Spain during the 1990s.

'I have seen Barcelona play many times in the last weeks and also before. For a long time I have been a Barcelona admirer and an admirer of its philosophy. The players not only play for themselves but also a great club and they know it, in a side which is very attacking and attractive - it makes it typical of the Barça style,' he said.

Such a style, with the pedigree of players such as Lionel Messi, Samuel Eto'o and Thierry Henry to name but three, can tear teams apart. That trio has scored 90 goals between them in all competitions this season, and Hiddink knows his side will need to defend better than it did in its last European outing, the 4-4 draw with Liverpool at Stamford Bridge. Having seen it since, he is aware it did not make pleasant viewing.

'Yes I did watch it, not only was the defence to blame, it is the whole squad's responsibility, we need to make a concentrated start tomorrow. We need to be concentrated so that this won't happen to us as well,' he confirmed.

Messi has been pinpointed as the key man to watch. With Ashley Cole suspended, it is likely to fall to José Bosingwa to mark the tricky wing man.

'He is one of the best. At a young age he is one of the best in the world, and what I said before, he is the kind of player who plays in a big club because of his style of play,' Hiddink said of the Argentine.

Two games from Rome, Hiddink admits he has already visualised the semi-final matches, but kept tight-lipped on how they panned out in his mind, admitting another Champions League Final would be a dream.

'You try to analyse what will happen, them playing well and us playing well, that's why we analyse and play the games but I cannot predict,' he said.

'It is a dream for everybody to get to a Champions League Final. I have played in other semis and finals, and every final is different, [this would not just be] another final.'

In a little over 24 hours, Hiddink may just be a little closer to that dream.