Showtime for Barça and Chelsea

With the UEFA Champions League set to resume after its winter break, uefa.com looks at the form of the 16 clubs involved in first-leg ties this week.

FC Barcelona v Chelsea FC
Primera División leaders Barcelona capped a remarkable year with a 2-1 win against Levante UD but opened 2005 by losing 3-0 at Villarreal CF. Wins against Real Sociedad de Fútbol, Real Racing Club Santander and Sevilla FC followed but their stranglehold on the top spot loosened after a 2-0 home defeat by Club Atlético de Madrid. Recent wins against Real Zaragoza and RCD Mallorca, on Saturday with Deco scoring twice, have restored their seven-point lead over rivals Real Madrid CF.

The club entered the transfer market last month, signing Maxi López from CA River Plate and Demetrio Albertini from Atalanta BC as stand-ins for long-term injury victims Henrik Larsson, Thiago Motta, Edmílson and Gabri García. One positive saw leading scorer Samuel Eto'o named African Footballer of the Year. Towards the end of Saturday's match, coach Frank Rijkaard substituted Xavi Hernández, who had received a knock earlier in the game, but the midfield player is expected to be fit for Wednesday.

Players registered: Maxi López, Demetrio Albertini, Damiá Abella
Players out: None

Chelsea's centenary year could hardly have started better with José Mourinho's men winning nine of the first eleven matches in 2005 - and with only two goals conceded. However, their dream of landing an unprecedented quartet foundered on Sunday when Newcastle United FC knocked them out of the FA Cup. The defence is in sterling form with no league goal conceded in ten successive matches. The last player to score against the Blues in the Premiership was Arsenal FC's Thierry Henry after 29 minutes at Highbury on 12 December, ensuring goalkeeper Peter Cech a new Premiership record of 961 minutes unbeaten.

Cech was rested against Newcastle along with several other first-choice players and his replacement, Carlo Cudicini, was sent off in the final minutes. In an eventful game, full-back Wayne Bridge was carried off with a suspected broken ankle. Also missing were Arjen Robben, who faces a long lay-off after breaking two bones in his foot, and Didier Drogba who is struggling to be fit for the game in Spain. Chelsea were hardly involved in the January transfer market, releasing only Celestine Babayaro to Newcastle and recalling the injured Mikael Forssell from a loan spell at Birmingham City FC.

Players registered: Mikael Forssell
Players out: Adrian Mutu, Celestine Babayaro