Chelsea travel to FC Basel in the Champions League on Tuesday, November 26 hoping for a better result than in the reverse fixture. The Blues led at halftime in the opening game at Stamford Bridge before succumbing to two second-half goals. That defeat sparked concerns of a crisis at the club, and although such dramatic conclusions have since been rubbished, Jose Mourinho made it clear to Sky Sports that Chelsea want to win this game. The Special One tweaked his side ahead of their 3-0 win over West Ham at the weekend, swapping the 4-2-3-1 formation for his favoured 4-3-3. This switch brought stability and structure to a side who have seemed out of sorts in recent weeks, and its success makes it the most likely formation going forward. Cesar Azpilicueta has been praised by Mourinho for his adaptability, and he has made it his mission to retain his place at left-back. With Ashley Cole still suffering pain from a rib injury, the Spaniard will likely keep his place. John Terry and Gary Cahill have formed a formidable partnership at centre-half, and David Luiz’s error-prone performances mean that the Englishmen should start in Switzerland, with Branislav Ivanovic flanking them on the right. John Obi Mikel put in another solid performance against West Ham. He is certainly the most defensive of all of Chelsea’s central midfielders and will probably act as a shield for the back four against Basel. Frank Lampard’s brace against his former club was the direct result of playing in his natural position. Mourinho will be faced with a difficult decision between Lampard and Ramires as to who gets the roaming role, but it is likely that Lampard’s goalscoring form will see him start. Oscar excels as a deep-lying No. 10 for Brazil. Although he had great success on the right of the attacking three at Upton Park, it makes sense to give him a more central role, freeing up a spot for Juan Mata on the right of the attack. Mata has made the best of his current situation at Chelsea, but he will need to get more minutes under his belt to stand a chance of selection for the Spanish squad ahead of the 2014 World Cup. Eden Hazard and Willian will battle it out for a place on the left wing. Hazard has been accused of fading out of games this season, and although he made five key passes against West Ham, more than any other Chelsea player, he might not have done enough to keep his place. Fernando Torres rejoined the squad in training ahead of the trip to Switzerland but is unlikely to be rushed back, leaving Samuel Etoo as the first-choice striker. A win in this match would see Chelsea confirm their qualification from Group E ahead of a gruelling run of fixtures. With the shock of their defeat against Basel in the opening fixture still fresh in their minds, expect this XI to bring all three points back to London. Follow @agirlintheshed Read more Chelsea news on BleacherReport
Posted on: Wed, 27 Nov 2013 20:25:31 +0000
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