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Chelsea have more to fear from Barcelona than their attacking flair in the Champions League semi-final leg at Stamford Bridge, argues Eurosport-Yahoo!'s Jonathan Symcox.

Many observers have already claimed they are better than Johan Cruyff's 'Dream Team' of the early 90s - before they have won a trophy.

Many in Catalonia poured scorn on the Blues' performance in securing a goalless draw in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final: 'anti-football', it was called.

Despite these bitter outbursts, it is clear that Guus Hiddink has delivered a masterclass in management to get Roman Abramovich's team where it is today compared to when he took over in February.

No matter that Barca missed late chances and Michael Ballack was fortunate to remain on the field last week: that 0-0 took courage from a club that knew it was up against a different class of ball-playing opponent.

There was no way that Chelsea could have played Barcelona at their own game, on their own patch, and secured a result; whatever your views on how the game should be played, there will always be teams whose achievements are based on tactics and discipline rather than raw talent.

Just look at how Barnsley trumped Chelsea in the FA Cup a year ago, and Liverpool before them; no one then complained of ultra-defensive tactics, and nor should they have.

But there is more to this Barcelona lot than that which is easy on the eye.

Their billing as the ultimate footballing team, with a midfield full of playmakers and some of the best strikers in the world - which have yielded a phenomenal 100 goals in the league alone this season - glosses over the character the side possesses.

Coach Pep Guardiola is a Catalan born and bred, a graduate of the club's famous La Masia academy, a former captain and European Cup winner with that memorable Cruyff side; and he has replicated the Dutchman's success with a squad largely inherited from Frank Rijkaard - one that had become stale and infatuated with its own success.

Compare the 6-2 mauling of Real Madrid at the weekend, the first time the Blaugrana have scored that many goals in the Bernabeu, with the capitulation of Rijkaard's Barca at home to Real a year ago last Christmas.

That side, like the one a few days ago, included the talents of midfield generals Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Yaya Toure, yet it lacked drive, conviction and creativity. Incredible, isn't it?

Guardiola has instilled a work ethic in his players, in terms of their passing and movement, sure, but also when they do not have the ball.

Watch them carefully on the rare occasions that they lose it and you will see Xavi and Iniesta immediately closing down while Toure bosses the entire middle section of the pitch via his physical presence.

Xavi showcased this when he dispossessed Lassana Diarra for Messi's crucial goal, Barca's second, in Madrid. They deny their rivals space; they crave the ball, hunting it down relentlessly.

They have not won a bean, there can be no doubt that they will do so having gone seven points clear in La Liga. Their football has been divine, the midfield a joy to watch - as were Spain at Euro 2008 - while in attack Iniesta has played his part, Eto'o has scored bucketloads, Messi has been stunning and Henry resurgent, a match for when he was at his peak with Arsenal.

Yet Guardiola has cultivated a side which propagates the Cruyff ideal; one containing brilliant foreigners and technically-astute Spaniards who are willing to bleed for the Barca cause.

When Madrid opened the scoring, the notoriously fragile Barcelona mindset must have kicked in among the fan clubs and inside pro-Barca bars all over Spain.

But back they came with two immediate strikes; and again, when Sergio Ramos nodded Real back into it, barely two minutes passed before Xavi played in Henry and they re-established a two-goal advantage.

Pep has always put forward that philosophy of pass and move, as a player, observer and coach, and at all times with Barca in mind; but his real work has come in the field of organisation and discipline.

He described the Bernabeu massacre as 'one of the best days of my footballing life'. He has effectively won the title with that soul-destroying victory on enemy territory; and now his players can continue the club's remarkable renaissance by disposing of Chelsea at the Bridge.

For when Hiddink's men seek to attack, as the fans will surely demand, there will be space to exploit all over the field - and there is no one better in that situation than this season's Barca vintage who know that a score draw will see them through.

They will not have 70 per cent-plus possession in West London, Chelsea will not roll over and are more than capable of scoring: witness the non-existent marking for the two Real goals.

Yet Barcelona will be freer to dance with the ball in the final third on English turf than they were at home; and they have already proved that when the chips are down, they can go for the jugular whether they have the ball or not - and emerge victorious.

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Jonathan Symcox / Eurosport