CHELSEA’S interim coach Guus Hiddink has called on his players to overcome Barcelona with a combination of ‘‘intelligence and emotion’’ in their Champions League showdown at Stamford Bridge tonight.

Chelsea’s faultless defensive display in the Nou Camp stadium last week nullified a Barcelona attack that has shared 90 goals between them this season.

Hiddink’s heroes ensured Barcelona failed to score at home for the first time this season and the goalless draw gives Chelsea a slight advantage going into the return leg.

Now the Dutch coach is confident Chelsea can reach their second successive final by beating a Barca side boosted by their 6-2 demolition of Real Madrid in La Liga over the weekend.

But the Catalan giants are without first-choice defenders Carles Puyol (suspended) and the injured Rafael Marquez and Hiddink has asked his players to put on a performance full of cleverness and passion to reach the final.

‘‘You have to play very intelligently against the top team in Europe now as the slightest error will be punished,’’ warned Hiddink.

‘‘On the other hand, you must not play without any emotion. If you do, it might put the brakes on your own performance. If you can combine both, you have a very good game.

‘‘Their 6-2 win was a respectable performance. That was a record for Madrid to concede six. But every game is different.

‘‘This is a team that, of course, is able to score. They have done it almost without exception in the games until last week.

‘‘Having scored six, it gives them a tremendous boost, but, I think it will be different tomorrow.’’ Chelsea are driven by a collective desire to reach the final for the second year running in order to finally erase the heartache of their defeat to Manchester United on penalties in Moscow last season – and set up a repeat in Rome later this month.

Some of Chelsea’s players will not have many more opportunities to play on Europe’s top stage with Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba and Michael Ballack all the wrong side of 30.

But while Hiddink refuses to label Chelsea an ageing side, he does acknowledge time may be running out of some of them.

‘‘It’s obvious this team is good,’’ declared Hiddink.

‘‘The players have a lot of desire.

They’ve proved that in previous Champions Leagues. These players don’t have five, six, seven years more to have the same chances they’ve had.’’