Matches

Nervy and Edgy But Job Done – Champions League Semis Here We Come

Well that was a nerve wracking game, despite getting a first half goal and having Benfica reduced to ten men this was a lethargic performance.

Despite the scare after allowing Benfica to score we held on (tufty even got a goal to seal it) and will now face Barcelona in the Champions League semi-finals, a statement that sounded implausible even just a month ago.

This is an achievement this season and from now on we will be underdogs regardless of what happens so I think it is important that we just enjoy the games and the moment than getting too far ahead of ourselves for now.

We were lucky tonight, although we seemed strong enough defensively Benfica certainly game to play creating plenty of early chances and nervous moments.

However we kept our discipline and Benfica lost theirs and we progress, another good night even if I have aged considerably in the last five minutes.

Long may it continue

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Champions League Second Leg Preview – Chelsea v Benfica

Another tense evening awaits the Chelsea faithful as Benfica come to Stamford Bridge looking to overturn a 1-0 deficit in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League. The Blues will be wary of the Portuguese side, having let goal advantages slip on many an occasion this season.

In fact, one such occasion presented itself over the weekend at Villa Park. Just when Chelsea were looking in control with a 2-0 lead against an injury-hit Villa side, we conceded a soft goal letting the hosts into the game. Buoyed by the goal, they quickly went on to score the equalizer with 10 minutes to go.

There was a massive sense of déjà-vu with Chelsea fans having become accustomed to such lapses during Andre Villas-Boas’s 8-month tenure at the club. But with interim boss Roberto Di Matteo in the dugout, the team was able to redeem itself as they scored twice at the end to secure 3 points.

The Italian would have been using that game as an example leading into the second leg of this tie. He will hope that his team can control the game like they did at the Estadio Da Luz in the first leg. Our opponents, who were poor that night, will be looking to show their true quality in South-West London.

Team news:

The interim boss has injury concerns about Didier Drogba, David Luiz and Raul Meireles, but all of them took part in training on Tuesday evening at Stamford Bridge. If they do not feel any after-effects, Di Matteo should have a fully fit squad to pick from. Much credit is undoubtedly due to the refurbished medical department at the club for the lack of injuries at this late stage of the season.

Even if the aforementioned injury doubts turn out negatively, the form of their replacements mean that they will not be sorely missed. At the end of last year, injuries to Drogba and Luiz right before a crucial Champions League game would have been major concerns.

But under Roberto Di Matteo, striker Fernando Torres has found his scoring touch again, and is probably first choice ahead of Drogba anyway. And Gary Cahill has done a competent job at central defense when called upon to do so.

The Italian’s man management has been exemplary, and even though the likes of Frank Lampard and Drogba have not been automatic selections, there is no question of discontent in the dressing room. It is evident that the new manager takes the time to explain selection decisions to his players, and there is a feeling of positivity again around the club.

For this game, the manager may again opt to go with a cautious approach at first, as he has shown an inclination to do during his time in charge. However, he will caution his players against going into their shell early on, as it is very hard, especially in European games, to change tempo when required.

John Obi Mikel should be in line to continue his fine form as one of the two defensive midfielders in Di Matteo’s preferred 4-2-3-1 formation. He was partnered by Meireles in the first leg, but the manager could opt to go with the slightly more attacking approach of Lampard, who did well at the weekend after having a few poor games in that position in the last few weeks.

One of the features of the first leg was the effective use of Ramires and Salomon Kalou on the wings to combat Benfica’s wing play, including their influential playmaker Gaitan who has the most assists in this season’s competition with 5. They could be used again this time in similar roles.

Di Matteo will likely keep the attacking options of Didier Drogba and Daniel Sturridge on the bench, ready to come on when needed. Torres will likely be persisted with as centre forward following the end of his goal drought in the league with a well-taken goal at Villa Park. Juan Mata should be the natural choice for the free-roaming role that he prefers behind the main striker.

The opponents:

For Benfica manager Jorge Jesus, the main selection concern will be at the heart of defense where their only recognized fit central defender is Luisao, with his partner last week Jardel picking up an injury. They already had Ezequiel Garay and Miguel Vitor on the sidelines.

In their absence, regular defensive midfielder Javi Garcia is in line to make the switch to centre-back, with former Chelsea youngster Nemanja Matic possibly filling in for Garcia. The Eagles possess a serious threat with the likes of Nicolas Gaitan, Pablo Aimar and Oscar Cardozo in their forward line.

They will be high on confidence following an injury-time win over Braga at the weekend, winger Bruno Cesar netting the late winner. Braga had pulled a goal back after midfielder Axel Witsel had given Benfica the lead with a penalty.

In Lisbon last week, they had failed to live up to expectations as they ran out of ideas against a well-organised Chelsea side. Quite often, they had to resort to long balls into their central striker Cardozo which came to nothing as John Terry dealt with the striker quite comfortably.

In this game, their manager will hope that his players can raise their game and show more quality than they did last week. A crucial cog in their wheel is the Argentinean attacking midfielder Pablo Aimar, who is usually given a free role around the striker. If Chelsea can stop him like they did in Lisbon, half the battle will be won.

Closing notes:

Despite the apparent crisis and suggestions of a transition season, the fact remains that Chelsea is already in the semi-finals of the FA Cup, and favourites to make it through to the semi-finals, with all other English teams being eliminated in the earlier rounds.

If we progress on Wednesday night, we have another epic battle with Barcelona to look forward to, after they came through their tie against Italian giants AC Milan.

It is all to play for at Stamford Bridge, but in the end, either the Eagles of Lisbon will be soaring or the Lions of London will be roaring. Let us hope it is the latter.

Up the Chels!

You can find me on Twitter @Celeryphile

Benfica v Chelsea – First Leg Tactical Analysis

An over-used cliché following last Tuesday’s win is that Chelsea pulled off a “perfect away result”. This of course refers to the fact that we kept a clean sheet, while also nicking a goal to give us a firm footing going into the second leg this Wednesday.

Chelsea in control:

What was more pleasing and went slightly unnoticed was the fact that we controlled the whole game from start to finish. Now, there are different ways of controlling a game. Chelsea under Jose Mourinho controlled matches keeping possession in our own half and looking to attack with deadly direct play involving quick forward-pressed wingers.

Also, you can defensively control a game like Guus Hiddink did when we traveled to Barcelona in 2009. Pundits may have called us “enemies of football” back then, but it was a master-class in how to play at the Nou Camp, with men behind the ball and a very stringent zonal marking system.

In some periods of the double-winning season, Carlo Ancelotti’s Chelsea would keep the ball for long periods, moving it around and testing the concentration of the opposition. But under Andre Villas-Boas, although we secured some excellent results early in the season, there was never an impression that Chelsea were really controlling the football match.

Team selection:

It was a surprising selection put out by Di Matteo, with non-regulars Salomon Kalou and Paulo Ferreira making it into the starting eleven. Although Ferreira had not played for Chelsea since New Year’s Eve, most Chelsea fans would have been pleased to see him, rather than Jose Bosingwa, replace Branislav Ivanovic at right back.

Like Chelsea, our opponents had lined up in their traditional 4-2-3-1 system, with Pablo Aimar supporting Oscar Cardozo in attack. The midfield dual pivot included the deeper Javi Garcia and the poetically named Axel Witsel, slightly more advanced. Chelsea had John Obi Mikel and Raul Meireles in equivalent positions.

Battle of the Wings:

Their wide players, Nicolas Gaitan on the right and Bruno Cesar on the left, are both left footed and both initially struggled against Ashley Cole and Ferreira respectively. Both of Chelsea’s wing selections, Kalou and Ramires, were made keeping in mind the threat posed by these two players.

The wingers became frustrated by around the 27^th minute and Benfica manager Jorge Jesus asked them to switch. This did result in some better play from Cesar against Cole on Chelsea’s left wing. Kalou was having to track back to defend Benfica’s more attacking full-back Maxi Pereira.

On the other side, Gaitan was still being picked off by Ferreira and with him reluctant to track back, Ramires was having a field day against left-back Emerson, who was not advancing as much as Pereira on the other wing, possibly fearful of bursts of counter-attacking pace from the turbo-charged Brazilian.

Ramires the Unfatigue-able:

The crucial element on the night was Ramires. The Brazilian, with his amazing speed and stamina, is a tactical delight for any manager. Firstly, because he can cover two or three positions simultaneously and secondly, because he follows the manager’s instructions in detail.

The interesting thing about Ramires’s positioning was he was effectively playing the “shuttle” role that made Chelsea buy him from Benfica. With their left-back wary of venturing forward, Ramires took up a more central position when Chelsea lost the ball, and it became a pseudo 3-man midfield. He was still energetic enough to shift positions quickly if the need arose to double-team Gaitan.

Extra man in midfield:

This allowed Chelsea an extra man in the middle of the park, with Garcia sitting deep in order to keep Juan Mata quiet. John Obi Mikel as the Blues’ most defensive-minded midfielder was doing well to pick up second balls whenever Benfica looked to use balls into Cardozo, with John Terry winning the aerial battle against the forward.

This meant Benfica’s only threatening mode of attack was with the 2-on-2 situation on their right wing, and Cesar was able to use Pereira’s runs to cut inside and get a couple of shots away. On a couple of occasions, he also mixed it up with taking on Cole on the outside before crossing, but Chelsea’s central defenders were winning all the headers.

Terry and David Luiz were complementing each other well, with the captain dealing with the lanky and strong Cardozo, while David Luiz often stepped out to make crucial interceptions and tackles, which effectively nullified the influence of the tricky Argentine Aimar.

The importance of being earnest:

Up front, Di Matteo had preferred to use Fernando Torres instead of Didier Drogba, and it turned out to be an excellent choice. The Spaniard had done a good job in a similar role against Manchester City the week before.

Similar to the City game, the primary aim was to defend, so Torres often found himself having no one for company up front, with Mata being well-marked by Javi Garcia. But he played the lone furrow extremely well, keeping the Benfica central defenders busy with his industry and pace.

His hold-up play was also excellent and this often allowed Kalou and Ramires to advance while the ball was at the striker’s feet. He tends to drift to the wings a lot, which is sometimes a reason for his lack of goals, but in this game it was a genuine strategy to get him to run in behind Benfica’s full backs.

The goal:

The only goal of the game, in fact, came out of a combination of Ramires and Torres. On a rare forward push from the left-back Emerson, Ramires intercepted the ball before easily beating him for pace. This led to Javi Garcia being pulled out of position, but just as he got close to Ramires, Torres made a fantastic run into the channel on the right. His marker Jardel was no match for Torres in terms of pace.

With the Benfica shape being skewed by the quick counter-attack and their defensive midfielder being eliminated from the game, there was all the space in the world for Kalou and Mata to make their way into the box. Torres found Kalou beautifully with his measured cross, and the Ivorian made no mistake.

Closing notes:

The interesting tactical points of this game were the influence of Ramires’s immense pace and stamina, and the isolated striker role played extremely well by Torres. Another factor was that we did not give the ball away as much as in some previous games.

John Obi Mikel is extremely important in this regard, with his excellent touch and ability to hold off players. Although Meireles did not have a great game alongside him, he did not do anything ultra-rubbish either.

Of course, the second leg will be a totally different story in terms of tactics from the managers. To be fair, better was expected from Benfica as a side which made their way into the Champions League quarterfinals.

It will not come as a surprise if they up their game as they come to the Bridge with no pressure and not much to lose. Chelsea will have to be extremely wary of letting them into the game. Di Matteo will hope we can control the game like we did in Lisbon.

I can be found on Twitter @Celeryphile

Match Analysis – Aston Villa v Chelsea

Chelsea pulled off a dramatic victory in an exciting game of football at Villa Park to remain in contention for Champions League qualification. Just when it looked like a depleted Aston Villa side had sealed a surprising comeback from two goals down to level the scores with 10 minutes remaining, two late goals from the Blues sealed the win to close the gap on Arsenal and T*ttenham.

Interim manager Roberto Di Matteo had seen his side control the game up to the 77^th minute with two goals in either half, and Villa posing no serious threat whatsoever. However, sloppy play from Chelsea allowed the young Villa side to score twice within 3 minutes. But 3 points were achieved as the Blues shifted gears to end on a high.

Team selection:

Aston Villa, and indeed the entire footballing world, had been shocked by news that their captain Stiliyan Petrov had been diagnosed with acute leukemia. He was at the stadium, though, and received a round of applause from both sets of fans when the clock struck 19 minutes, 19 being his squad number.

Villa were suffering from further casualties though, with regular first choice players Carlos Cuellar, Richard Dunne, Ciaran Clark, Charles N’Zogbia and Darren Bent all sidelined due to injury. This gave a very young look to their playing squad, with a lot of youngsters having come through their academy system.

In fact, two of Chelsea’s playing squad on the day were also products of the same setup. One of them, Gary Cahill, stayed on the bench as Di Matteo opted to persist with the duo of David Luiz and captain John Terry in central defense. Branislav Ivanovic made a welcome return to right back after being passed fit.

Up front, there was a very attacking look to Chelsea with Fernando Torres being flanked by Salomon Kalou and Daniel Sturridge, Chelsea’s other Villa academy product. Juan Mata was asked to play his preferred central role behind the striker. Didier Drogba did not feature even on the bench as he picked up a training ground injury.

The double pivot in Di Matteo’s 4-2-3-1 system was this time filled by John Obi Mikel, who has been impressive under the interim boss, and Frank Lampard, recalled to the starting line-up after missing out in midweek. Brazilian Ramires was given a well-deserved rest.

First Half:

There was a concerted tactic employed by Di Matteo against a suspect Villa defense to use Fernando Torres’s running in the channels between Villa’s centre-backs and full-backs. The first fruit of this strategy was seen as early as the 5^th minute when Torres was put through on goal by a perfect David Luiz pass. The Spaniard’s low shot was saved by goalkeeper Shay Given.

Chelsea had come out flying at the beginning of the game, sensing a vulnerability in this inexperienced team put out by Alex McLeish. The pressure on the Villans’s goal paid dividends in the 9^th minute when Sturridge scored.

A cross from the left wing by Ashley Cole was flicked by Torres into the path of his compatriot Mata with the Villa defense sleeping. Torres looked like he would score from Mata’s subsequent pull-back but the shot was well-blocked by Villa left-back Stephen Warnock. However, the ball fell nicely for Sturridge to tap into the empty net from close range.

It was proving to be an entertaining encounter between an attacking Chelsea side against a team lacking in experience but not in exuberance. The referee must be complimented too for allowing the game to flow without blowing his whistle for some of the feisty challenges.

There was another good move by Chelsea on the left side as Kalou and Torres combined with Mata to set up the latter for a shot on goal. He dinked a delightful chip over the advancing Given but as is the norm in recent times with Mata’s shots, the ball bounced back off the post to let Villa off.

There was some excellent one-touch football being played in the centre of the park, with Mata being heavily involved in the play. Villa’s flat four in midfield was unable to cope with the intricate triangles being played by the Chelsea side.

The quality and pace of Chelsea’s passing was allowing Mata and Lampard to dictate the play, the latter from a deeper position. Mikel was continuing his fine form under Di Matteo, often dropping deep between Terry and Luiz to allow the full-backs to advance.

As the half progressed, Chelsea dropped their tempo but were still controlling the game and Villa were not creating any chances. Their main method of attack was through aerial balls into their two strikers, Gabriel Agbonlahor and Andreas Weimann.

This did create a chance for Agbonlahor towards the end of the half, but his shot was well-saved by Petr Cech with his feet after initially over-estimating his dive. It was a good show of concentration by the Chelsea ‘keeper who had had nothing to do up to that point.

There was a setback for Chelsea as the first half ended with Luiz being unable to continue due to suspected ankle ligament damage. The Brazilian will be assessed over the next few days, but his replacement Gary Cahill’s recent performances mean that his absence will not hurt as much.

Second Half:

The second half began much as the first half had ended, with Chelsea happy to play with a slow tempo, and Villa showing a lack of ideas in offensive positions. They did try to get their forwards to run into space between Chelsea’s centre-halves and advanced wing-backs, but this ploy was easily dealt with.

There was a second goal for Chelsea on 51 minutes, which came out of poor Villa defending, allowing Ivanovic to control with his body before stabbing the ball into the net. McLeish would have been livid that his defenders let Chelsea’s main danger man from set pieces take two free touches inside the Villa 6-yard box.

There was a resumption of the earlier pattern of play, and Chelsea looked to have seen the game off, with the manager making changes to rest some tired legs. Two of the starters from Benfica in midweek were given some respite, Kalou being replaced by Ramires in the 58^th minute and Mata by Florent Malouda in the 73^rd minute.

And then the footballing gods rained their blessings upon Villa Park. A long throw for Villa near Chelsea’s goal-line was directed towards defender James Collins who was given a free reign to head home in the 77^th minute. Di Matteo will have been equally angry at his defenders for failing to maintain concentration.

McLeish had brought on winger Marc Albrighton in the 70^th minute in an attempt to stretch the Chelsea defence. With him taking on Ivanovic in one-on-one situations, Villa advanced, now with renewed hope and the crowd behind them.

Just two minutes after the first Villa goal, they struck again. This time, Albrighton with his direct play took on Ivanovic before crossing dangerously across the Chelsea goal. Right-back Eric Lichaj was on hand to slide home the equalizer.

There would have been a massive sense of déjà-vu among the travelling fans, who had again put in a top performance with their support. It had become all too familiar under Andre Villas-Boas to lose leads, as evidenced on New Year’s Eve when Villa had come back from a goal down to beat us 3-1 at the Bridge.

However, this time Chelsea had a new trick up their sleeve. They suddenly shifted gears and upped the tempo to put pressure on the Villa goal. Villa’s inexperience showed again in the 83^rd minute when Ivanovic was again given space inside the six-yard box to head Torres’s flick-on from a corner into the net to restore the Blues’ lead.

Di Matteo would have heaved a massive sigh of relief along with the rest of the Chelsea fans. But the action was not over. With Villa throwing bodies forward, Chelsea had opportunities on the counter attack, and scored again in the 90^th minute.

Sturridge broke quickly with the ball after a Villa attack, and slipped in Torres who took a touch before firing a low drive past Given into the net. The Spaniard had put in a sterling performance again, and this time had been rewarded with a goal.

Final Comments:

The interim manager now has 6 wins in 8 games since he was appointed, and after the disappointing results against Manchester City and Sp*rs, this win will being confidence to the Blues ahead of our last 7 games in the league. It came at what is traditionally a bogey ground for Chelsea.

This was a particularly pleasing victory for three reasons. Firstly, it showed that the team has the ability to change the tempo quickly during a game. Secondly, there was some good interplay among the Chelsea forward line, albeit against an injury-hit Villa side.

Thirdly, Arsenal lost at QPR and with them playing Manchester City next week and Chelsea in a few weeks’ time, they are just 5 points ahead of us. Fourth-placed T*ttenham play Swansea at White Hart Lane on Sunday.

In conclusion, an entertaining game where Chelsea started off brightly to score early, controlled the game like under Jose Mourinho and also nicking a goal from a set piece. Then there were memories of Villas-Boas as we let a lead slip yet again. But Di Matteo’s men finally came through.

CAREFREE.

Preview – Aston Villa v Chelsea

Mission Fourth Place will be in the minds of Roberto Di Matteo and his Chelsea men as they prepare to take on Aston Villa in the league on Saturday. The Blues will have to put to one side the satisfaction of having half a foot into the semifinals of the Champions League after the well-deserved 1-0 away win at Benfica in midweek.

Chelsea are the lone survivors from the country still remaining in European competition, and even though qualification for next season’s Champions League remains a doubt, it is a credit to the club and players that despite the mandatory turmoil and drama that comes with a Chelsea season, there is still much to play for on three fronts. Never a dull day to be a Chelsea fan!

Despite the smashing success of the interim manager in cup competitions, the results in the league have not been much improved since Andre Villas-Boas left. Last week, we played out a monotonous 0-0 draw with T*ttenham, our main rivals for fourth place in the league. We now sit 5 points behind them with 8 games left to play for both teams.

Team news and tactics:

Di Matteo will be fretting over the fitness of Branislav Ivanovic after he failed a fitness test before the Benfica game. In his absence, the Italian made a surprising but well-intentioned choice of Paulo Ferreira at right back. If the Serbian is not able to recover, there is a possibility of Ferreira retaining his place, although his lack of match fitness and the hectic nature of the fixture schedule could prompt the return of Jose Bosingwa.

There could also be a shuffling in central defence, and there is a possibility to rest David Luiz after a typically energetic display against his former side. Former Villa man Gary Cahill should be able to slot in without fuss alongside captain John Terry.

The Italian will be aware of the toll taken by the fixture calendar on his team and has shown an inclination to rotate the playing squad to keep a modicum of freshness. It is interesting to note, though, that Chelsea have found excellent results on returning from European travels. We have 4 wins in 4 games after trips to the continent.

After adopting a somewhat defensive approach in our last three games, against Benfica, Sp*rs and Manchester City, this is a game where Chelsea should look to attack from the off-set. Wins against teams like Aston Villa are imperative if we are to make a final push for fourth place.

One of the problems with this approach is that two of Chelsea’s most creative players, Juan Mata and Daniel Sturridge, have lost the spark that they had at the beginning of the season, perhaps as a result of playing almost all the games under Villas-Boas.

Di Matteo will have a decision to make regarding resting Mata, who has looked decidedly spent in the last few weeks. Sturridge, on the other hand, should be in a fresher state having missed out in midweek. The Birmingham-born youngster will be keen to play against the side where he learned his trade early in his development.

In midfield, Di Matteo could look to change to a more attacking approach. He has preferred to use the 4-2-3-1 system with both the central midfielders asked to protect the defence. Against a poor Villa side though, he should use more forward-thinking options.

Ramires provides excellent tactical flexibility in this regard with his ability to cover two or three positions using his immense stamina and pace, but there may a case for giving him a rest. Or maybe not… he doesn’t look like he needs it!

Up front, Fernando Torres put in a top performance in midweek which was widely praised. However, he has largely shown good play since the beginning of the season, apart from a few games. He has only scored 6 goals this season, but his awareness and lack of selfishness have made big contributions to the team with a total of 13 assists.

From the recent games, he has shown no sign of tiredness so there may be an option to play him again while his confidence is high. It has been noticeable that he does seem to have a good understanding with Salomon Kalou who, despite his ability to nutmeg himself on occasion, does come up with important goals and assists. He scored the crucial goal against Benfica, from a Torres assist.

The opponents:

Aston Villa currently sit at 15^th in the table, a comfortable 8 points above the relegation places. They have seen their form dip miserably after the first half of the league season. After the turn of the year, they have only 2 wins in 10 games seeing them drop 5 positions in the league.

Manager Alex McLeish will be wary of slipping into the relegation dogfight if their form persists. He was left bemoaning concession of soft goals in their most recent match, a 3- loss at the Emirates against Arsenal. Mistakes from goalkeeper Shay Given and central defender Carlos Cuellar led to Arsenal scoring twice in the first half to all but put the game to bed.

There are also major fitness concerns for McLeish, with defenders Alan Hutton, Richard Dunne and Ciaran Clark, and winger Charles N’Zogbia all sidelined, in addition to goalscorer Darren Bent. This week, there is also a doubt over captain Stilian Petrov who has a fever, and Emile Heskey and James Collins who picked up slight knocks.

Final Comments:

Aston Villa were the last team to play against Chelsea in 2011. The New Year’s Eve fixture started well for Chelsea with Didier Drogba putting away a penalty in the 23^rd minute. The Birmingham-based side equalized soon after, and Chelsea’s defensive frailties were punished cruelly at the end as Villa scored two late goals to seal a 3-1 victory.

Under Di Matteo though, we have shown less signs of chinks in the defensive armour, with 4 clean sheets in 7 games. Also since that game, Villa’s form has gone downhill so despite our poor recent record at Villa Park, the momentum is with Chelsea going into this game.

There were very few indications of the players really “wanting it” against Sp*rs the previous week. On Saturday, the players need to show that they know what is at stake when they walk out at Villa Park. Aston Villa are there for the taking…..

CAREFREE.

You can find me on twitter @Celeryphile