Chelsea face Paris St-Germain at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, trailing 3-1 from the first leg. Individual mistakes cost Chelsea in Paris, leaving Blues boss Jose Mourinho with a two-goal deficit and a big tactical problem. Manchester United have an even tougher task ahead of them, travelling to take on defending champions Bayern Munich on Wednesday after drawing the first leg 1-1. People are saying United played well in the first leg, but they didnt - they defended well, and there is a difference. They have a chance of going through, but only a small one. How Chelsea can get the goals they need Whatever the limitations of his strikers, Jose Mourinho needs to play one of them against PSG. Whether it is Samuel Etoo, Fernando Torres - or, less likely, Demba Ba - they have a key role to play even if they do not score the goals to turn this tie around themselves. Mourinho probably hopes Etoo is fit. Before he got injured playing against Arsenal last month he had scored in each of his last three appearances, is Chelseas highest- scoring striker and has created more chances than Torres and Ba put together. But Torres has to play if Etoo doesnt, because we saw in the first leg in Paris what happens when Chelsea play without a recognised centre-forward. Andre Schurrle dropped deep from his supposed forward role, which helped Chelsea defensively by giving them an extra man in midfield, but meant there was nobody making runs behind the PSG defence. That limited the space for the three players behind him in their 4-2-3-1 formation to run into. It is those three - Eden Hazard, Oscar and Willian - who hold the key to Chelsea turning this tie around. And it will be the movement of Etoo or Torres in front of them that will allow them to make the difference. The main striker needs to make runs into the channels between PSGs centre-backs and full-backs to make room for that trio, who will be arriving into the space left by him taking defenders away. Hazard is the player Chelsea will look to make a difference on Tuesday, cutting in from the left as he has done all season. In the second half in Paris, Hazard did his defensive duties but was poor from an attacking point of view. Oscar and Willian did not get a look in either. That will change if Etoo or Torres can stretch the play. Torres did not have much of an impact when he came on after an hour of the first leg but, at the very least, he led the line. At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea will spread out more than they did in the first leg but, the danger there, is that as well as being more of a threat going forward, they will leave themselves more open at the back too. PSG pose a problem on the counter-attack We know Chelsea love to play on the break but, this time, they are the team needing goals and PSG are the side with pace, waiting to counter-attack. Even though Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been magnificent for the French side this season, his absence through injury might mean Laurent Blancs side are even more of a threat on the break. Chelseas best spell of the first leg came when they were on the front foot after going 1-0 down in the first half. PSG had switched from 4-3-3 to 4-5-1 and were playing on the counter, with Ezequiel Lavezzi and Edinson Cavani dropping deeper, leaving Ibrahimovic up front on his own. But, if PSG are going to use that second system at the start of the second leg, then a front three of Lavezzi, Cavani and Luca Moura is probably better suited to make it work. Mouras pace out on the right could mean Cavani goes in the middle, but all three of them are fast enough to cause Chelsea problems - especially if the Blues commit men forward. It will be a big test for Chelseas defence. Gary Cahill and John Terry have been very good this season but they will know Terrys lack of pace could be exposed by any of PSGs front three. Chelseas back four might drop deep to deal with that, which will put a lot of responsibility on their two holding midfielders in their 4-2-3-1 formation. Mourinho has a problem here too. With Ramires suspended and Nemanja Matic ineligible, Frank Lampard could come in to partner David Luiz but John Mikel Obi offers a more defensive-minded option and the Blues boss has to get the balance right and also protect his defence. I think Chelsea will win the game at Stamford Bridge but I think PSG will score and am not so sure the Blues will win by enough to take the tie overall.
Posted on: Tue, 08 Apr 2014 09:19:09 +0000
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