Barcelona looking for home comfort against Rangers

Barcelona fought out a dour 0-0 draw at Rangers two weeks ago and have been widely criticised for their play away but at home, in their Nou Camp citadel, they are a different proposition.

They entertain the Scottish club in a European Champions League Group E encounter on Wednesday and Barca are looking to maintain their 100 per cent home record, in both La Liga and in Europe.

"At home we seem to be more comfortable, for whatever reason. Maybe it's because we have got the crowd behind us," said Barca's influential Spanish international playmaker Xavi Hernandez on Monday.

There is no doubt that when the Nou Camp is filled to its 98,000 capacity it is one of the most intimidating cauldrons in European football.

If Rangers do tremble in similar fashion to every other team who has visited the Nou Camp this season, and Barca have never failed to score at least two goals either in domestic competition or the Champions League, then Barca will go to the top of the group.

Victory would also mean they qualify for the last 16 with two games remaining if Lyon also drop points at home to Stuttgart on the same night.

"Playing Rangers will be physical and tiring but we are clear about the objective. We have to play our game like we always do and get the three points because we want to qualify for the next round," added Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure on Monday.

The clash has been given added spice by the comments of Barcelona's winger Lionel Messi after their first match in Glasgow two weeks ago.

The often-inspirational Argentine player blasted Rangers' dogged defensive, if brutally effective, tactics against them as 'anti-football'.

"If that's the way this boy feels, then that's fine, but it's not going to make any difference to us because we are working to get the maximum number of points possible," responded Rangers manager Walter Smith this weekend.

"They (Barca) have a different way of doing things to us. Everyone has their own style, but I can understand why he was frustrated. They have one of the best forward lines in the world and want to win every game," added Smith.

Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard is expected to start with almost the same team that beat Real Betis 3-0 on Sunday, with two goals from Ronaldinho after Thierry Henry had opened the scoring.

The only doubt is over right back Gianluca Zambrotta, who has a twisted left ankle.

If the Italian World Cup winner is not passed fit, Rijkaard will have to move around his back four with probably either Rafa Marquez or Oleguer Presas being recalled.

Rangers, presently second in the Scottish Premier League and three points behind their bitter local rivals Celtic, got a morale-boosting 2-0 win over Inverness Caledonian Thistle on Saturday to put them in the right frame of mind to face Barca.

"I felt it was important that Brahim (Hemdani) was given a game," said Smith on Saturday.

"We can now look at him for the match against Barcelona if he came through without any problems," he added.

Hemdani has just recently recovered from a groin injury which caused him to miss their home match against Barca but, with Kevin Thomson suspended, the French midfielder is expected to start in the Nou Camp.

Barcelona have never played host to Rangers in European competition before but it is not the first time that the Scottish club has visited the Nou Camp.

It was the venue for their 1972 European Cup Winners' Cup triumph over Dynamo Moscow but was marred by thousands of drunken Scottish fans going on the rampage after the 3-2 victory.

The local police in Barcelona clearly have long memories because, with up to 15,000 Rangers fans expected to be in Barcelona on Wednesday, the game has been declared 'a high risk fixture'.

Local police have beefed up their security arrangements and they have also been in consultation with their counterparts in Pamplona after crowd problems at last season's UEFA Cup game between Osasuna and Rangers.