Pre-match briefing + Team News for Chelsea against Atletico Madrid in the champions league

 Chelsea are in Bucharest but not to face Romanian opposition 


Both Chelsea and Atletico Madrid dropped points domestically ahead of this big first leg round of 16 tie in the champions league. Chelsea drew 1-1 at Southampton whilst Atletico Madrid were defeated 2-0 at home to mid-table side Levante, which was their second successive loss of the campaign.

In Group A in the champions league Diego Simeone's side finished a distant second behind group winners Bayern Munich, winning two games before the competition took its winter beak. Chelsea, under former boss Frank Lampard, went unbeaten throughout Group E, securing three rare away wins as well as scoring the most goals on the road throughout the whole competition. Chelsea have scored twice as many goals as Atletico Madrid (14 compared to the Spanish side's 7). 

Chelsea have also not lost an away game to Atletico Madrid, winning once and drawing twice. The last game in Spain for Chelsea was the 4-0 demolition of Sevilla, even though restrictions as a result of COVID-19 mean that the game tonight will be played in Romania at Bucharest's Arena Nationala as supposed to the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid, Spain.

Other clubs might consider this to be an advantage to play at a neutral venue. Even less so, Chelsea for whom the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium holds no fear for the Blues. Chelsea became the first team to record the first ever victory at the newly opened stadium in September 2017, and the only win in the champions league competition. 

Team news for Chelsea 

Chelsea are looking to make it four consecutive wins in a row in the champions league on the road this evening. If Chelsea secure an away win would be their first in the knockout stages in the competition since a quarter final victory over Benfica in March 2012, when Salomon Kalou notched up one of his occasional priceless goals. 

Ever since reaching the semi-finals of this competition in 2013/14, Chelsea's progress in this competition has since then stalled at this stage every time.

In their 1-1 draw away to Southampton Takumi Minamino became the first player to score from open play again Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea team. This proved to be Southampton's only shot on target the whole game, which was testament to Chelsea's improvement in defence overall. 

However Tuchel's team have also found it hard to score goals as opposed to earlier on in the season and the football law seems to suggest that when an opportunity comes for you to score against Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid side then you simply have to take it.

Tuchel wants his team to be able to dominate the rhythm of games and this may well be tricky against a side who are determined to but their weekend setback behind them. Tactically both teams look similar too. Ever since the group stages both sides have reverted to a back three with two in central midfield, attacking wing-backs,  as well as playing two number 10s behind a striker. 

Even though Tammy Abraham Chelsea's leading goalscorer this season was substituted and sat in the stands at Southampton with ice strapped to his ankle it was not described as anything too serious. Frenchman Olivier Giroud has found the net on average every 28 minutes in the competition and has claimed five goals overall. Both Christian Pulisic and Kai Havertz are fit again as five substitutions are permitted in the competition.

The best attacking player under Thomas Tuchel has clearly been Callum Hudson-Odoi so therefore, it is important that he responds positively after being subbed of at St Mary's, and may well start tonight. Whoever plays on the left hand side for Chelsea will be looking to exploit the absence of Kieran Trippier with no natural right-back available for Diego Simeone.

The key to any success for Chelsea in this tie, though, will be to keep Atletico Madrid at bay without Thiago Silva. Spanish mid-table team Levante managed to see out a 2-0 win despite facing 28 shots on their goal with Atletico Madrid registering 11 shots on target thanks to the visitors defence and goalkeeper in form. 

Chelsea were only behind for a total of only four minutes throughout the duration of the champions league group stage, less than any other team in the competition, conceding the second fewest goals in the group stage. Goalkeeper Edouard Mendy has only conceded just one goal, and had the best save rate in the competition with 94 per cent. In front of Mendy Andreas Christensen may return back to the defence.

As well as being unfamiliar with their so called home ground. Atletico have the slight disadvantage what with this being their third game in the space of seven days, whereas Chelsea have had the luxury of a clear midweek. 

For more articles on news relating to Chelsea Football Club please visit my twitter account 


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Tuchel's first impressions of Mason Mount and Billy Gilmour

Reaction from Tuchel on what Chelsea need to do in order to score more plus explains why Hudson-Odoi was taken off

Chilwell remembers his first taste of senior football in Yorkshire