Four thousand fans can usually squeeze around its artificial surface, but temporary stands doubled that for the biggest game in their history. Basketball is the most popular spectator sport in Badalona, with local heroes Joventut, European champions themselves in 1994, but after Barca's consecutive defeats to Chelsea and Real Madrid, locals were turned on by the prospect of a football upset.

Badalona had excelled in reaching the last 16 of the cup, but the optimism of fans was not grounded in any substance . . . in the league they had won just two games from eight and even Barca's reserves beat them 4-0.

Badalona president Fermin Casquete sounded a note of realism. "Barca is the best team in the world so we have no illusions about knocking them out. Over two legs it's asking for a miracle." Still, the game had the potential to turn a bad week into a terrible one for Frank Rijkaard, with Barca fans in Badalona making their feelings clear by unfurling a banner that read:

'What happened in Madrid, Rijkaard? Pull your socks up.'

Barca's Dutch coach took no chances, with Xavi, Zambrotta, Puyol, Giuly, Edmilson, Saviola and the under fire Eidur Gudjohnsen starting in Badalona. Gudjohnsen has replaced Samuel Eto'o, who will be absent until March. Yet the Cameroonian star set such high standards that it's doubtful any striker in the world could replace him like-for-like, let alone one who is still adjusting to Spanish football.

Gudjohnsen is a completely different type of player from Eto'o, yet strikers are judged by their goalscoring record and Barca's Icelandic summer signing has been more profligate than prolific.

Against Madrid last Sunday, the former Chelsea player missed one chance in particular that had the Catalans cringing.

Backed by a raucous crowd three days later, Badalona's players were determined to inflict more discomfort on their esteemed neighbours.

It said much that Barca's best player was their goalkeeper Albert Jorquera, as Badalona's direct approach troubled Rijkaard's side. After an hour the score was goalless and the normally unflappable coach shuffled uneasily in front a rickety main stand.

Relief came in the 63rd minute when Javier Saviola centred for Gudjohnsen, who volleyed home his first goal in 253 minutes. Fourteen minutes later he added a second after following up a shot from Ezquerro, although a converted injury-time Badalona penalty ensured a scoreline worthy of celebration in the Camp del Centenari.

"I was pleased to score two goals after wasting such a clear-cut opportunity against Madrid, " said Gudjohnsen. "I am not angry about the comments that have been made about me. I have come to Barcelona to score goals and that is my job. Now it's Chelsea and it's a game where we have to concentrate and be very organised, " he said.

"Chelsea are a team, as we showed two years ago against Barca, that if you give them the opportunity then they will take you and they will use anything to their advantage.

Asked whether he felt he had a point to make with Jose Mourinho for selling him, Gudjohnsen replied: "I don't need to prove anything to anyone except myself. The people at Chelsea know what I'm capable of. I played over 215 games for them. It's a game I'm looking forward to a lot. I want to go as high as I can in my footballing career and so this is a game which has been in the back of my mind since the draw was made." There isn't a better time for Gudjohnsen to score his first Camp Nou goal and establish himself firmly in the affections of his new club's as yet unconvinced support.