Wednesday, March 19, 2014
UCL Round of 16 (Chelsea Edition)
He's back. Didier Drogba is back at Stamford Bridge. The stadium was filled with Drogba banners and warm chants that greeted the former Blues' player. The stakes were high and Chelsea came into this match with full determination.
In the first leg, Mourinho had placed Fernando Torres up front. This time, the Special One decided to incorporate Samuel Eto'o in Chelsea's starting XI. Throughout this match, Eto'o was phenomenal with the ball. His presence was evident and his work-rate was impeccable.
Playing Hazard, Oscar, and Willian behind Eto'o was crucial in this match. The H.O.W. trio worked together and contributed immensely. Individually, each player demonstrated why he was MOTM material.
Hazard was able to get through those small spaces and outwit defenders. For example, the way he slowed down at times and then accelerated in order to mislead defenders exhibited the sheer talent that this player possesses. Hazard had Eboue on the palm of his hand.
Oscar stood out with his ability to read the game fairly well. He oozed creativity with his dynamic passing and looked as if he was always in the right place at the right time.
Willian was all over the pitch. He was able to charge forward with the ball and track back when needed. His ability to keep the game free-flowing and maintain pace was not overlooked. He added composure and stability.
Lampard and Ramires made a suitable link-up between the back-line and the attacking midfielders. Ramires was easily able to dispossess the ball from Galatarasay and ruin their tempo. Lampard contributed in keeping the midfield organized and in closing down Galatasaray's players.
Chelsea's back-line was exceptional. With strong defenders like Branislav Ivanovic, John Terry, Gary Cahill, and Cesar Azpilicueta, it prevented Galatasaray players from shooting the ball. Once Chelsea players recovered the ball, they quickly countered and regained possession.
During the fourth minute, Oscar provided Eto'o with an exceptional pass which resulted in a goal. One may argue that this goal was crucial for Chelsea because it had set the tone for the rest of the evening.
Chelsea's second goal originated from a corner taken by Lampard. Terry attempted a header but it deflected off Muslera. This was exactly what Cahill needed in order kick it in goal during the 42nd minute.
Overall, I thought Chelsea displayed a wonderful performance. Their exuberant energy and focus resulted in a comfortable win for the Blues. Mourinho made the right decision by selecting a 4-2-3-1 formation since it allowed a sense of balance in midfield. Players were able to move forward and track back when necessary. For the most part, Chelsea were well organized and played consistently throughout both halves. Choosing a MOTM is extremely difficult due to the fact that each player positively impacted Chelsea's win.
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| Images via Tumblr |
Written by: Laxmi Patel
Follow me on Twitter: @OfficialLaxmi
UCL Round of 16 (Galatasaray Edition)
Galatasaray’s run in the Champions League proves why they deserve to be there. To have gotten out of a tough group stage and into the knockout round is a huge achievement. They thrive on the Aslan mentality, the passion of their supporters, and the sheer willingness to fight. However, things didn’t go their way in the second leg at Stamford Bridge.
Galatasaray’s biggest weakness was leaving open spaces, which Chelsea found a way to easily exploit. This is what the Blues wanted to capitalize on. Couple that with not effectively closing down quick players, it becomes a recipe for disaster. This was the case for Chelsea’s opening goal. It sucked the life force out of Galatasaray. The midfield was poor to contain Hazard who instinctively released the ball to Oscar. Oscar’s run caused Semih to get out of position and Chedjou was outrun by Eto’o. It was a quality finish by Eto’o who was lurking like a predator in between the two center-backs.
Most of the time, Hazard was cruising down Galatasaray’s right-hand side. His technique on the ball and clever movement was too much to handle for Eboué. This area of the pitch was the most vulnerable. Chedjou had to help out Eboué, so this created further gaps in defense.
To add to that, the attack was lacking focus and sharp execution. Burak Yılmaz was withdrawn on the right and couldn’t support Drogba. This applied more pressure on Drogba. Having Sneijder on the ball was crucial, but it just didn’t happen. To keep Sneijder in check, Ramires would dispossess the Dutchman and Galatasaray got caught in Chelsea’s quick transitions. Too many times Sneijder was forced to drop deep, so Cimbom were not able to get the full effect of his creativity. His involvement would have delivered the ball in more dangerous areas. The best opportunity came for Drogba in the dying minutes of the match. He was closest to goal he had ever been, but Čech made an excellent save.
Although the score would indicate otherwise, it wasn’t all doom and gloom for Galatasaray. There were positives to their game. When GS were using strength in numbers to push into the box, CFC looked nervous. Galatasaray used the flanks to the best of their ability. A lot of the build-up play came from Melo and Eboué pulling the strings in attack. Melo was most instrumental in midfield because he had a hand in retaining the ball for Galatasaray. This is why possession was slightly higher for Galatasaray and pass accuracy was 80%. With Chelsea having attempted a total of 20 shots, Muslera made save-after-save. He is no stranger to high pressure situations .The ever-reliable Uruguayan kept Galatasaray's chances alive from start to finish. Both Melo and Muslera showed why they are the backbone of GS. Therefore, both deserve to be MOTM.
It’s a tough loss for Galatasaray to digest, but they walk out with their heads held high. What they achieved is an example and a lesson to keep improving. A team who prides themselves on resilience and unity will leave their mark in Europe once again.
Galatasaray’s biggest weakness was leaving open spaces, which Chelsea found a way to easily exploit. This is what the Blues wanted to capitalize on. Couple that with not effectively closing down quick players, it becomes a recipe for disaster. This was the case for Chelsea’s opening goal. It sucked the life force out of Galatasaray. The midfield was poor to contain Hazard who instinctively released the ball to Oscar. Oscar’s run caused Semih to get out of position and Chedjou was outrun by Eto’o. It was a quality finish by Eto’o who was lurking like a predator in between the two center-backs.
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| Via Getty Images |
Most of the time, Hazard was cruising down Galatasaray’s right-hand side. His technique on the ball and clever movement was too much to handle for Eboué. This area of the pitch was the most vulnerable. Chedjou had to help out Eboué, so this created further gaps in defense.
To add to that, the attack was lacking focus and sharp execution. Burak Yılmaz was withdrawn on the right and couldn’t support Drogba. This applied more pressure on Drogba. Having Sneijder on the ball was crucial, but it just didn’t happen. To keep Sneijder in check, Ramires would dispossess the Dutchman and Galatasaray got caught in Chelsea’s quick transitions. Too many times Sneijder was forced to drop deep, so Cimbom were not able to get the full effect of his creativity. His involvement would have delivered the ball in more dangerous areas. The best opportunity came for Drogba in the dying minutes of the match. He was closest to goal he had ever been, but Čech made an excellent save.
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| Via Getty Images |
Although the score would indicate otherwise, it wasn’t all doom and gloom for Galatasaray. There were positives to their game. When GS were using strength in numbers to push into the box, CFC looked nervous. Galatasaray used the flanks to the best of their ability. A lot of the build-up play came from Melo and Eboué pulling the strings in attack. Melo was most instrumental in midfield because he had a hand in retaining the ball for Galatasaray. This is why possession was slightly higher for Galatasaray and pass accuracy was 80%. With Chelsea having attempted a total of 20 shots, Muslera made save-after-save. He is no stranger to high pressure situations .The ever-reliable Uruguayan kept Galatasaray's chances alive from start to finish. Both Melo and Muslera showed why they are the backbone of GS. Therefore, both deserve to be MOTM.
It’s a tough loss for Galatasaray to digest, but they walk out with their heads held high. What they achieved is an example and a lesson to keep improving. A team who prides themselves on resilience and unity will leave their mark in Europe once again.
“Now we have a championship to play for with another nine games. We need to try to recover and play to our best. We know we can improve.” - Roberto Mancini
Written by: Goral Patel
Follow me on Twitter: @goralpatel
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Where It Went Right, Where It Went Wrong: Atlético Madrid - AC Milan (UCL Second Leg)
Where it went wrong:
When eleven players come together as one, it is a team’s biggest strength. The names on paper become irrelevant. It’s about playing eye-to-eye against any opponent. It’s about crossing any hurdle. It’s about defying the odds. This is where Milan fell short. Milan savored the “underdog” tag, but failed to deliver. Diego Costa’s opener in the 3rd minute set the tone for the match. Conceding 4 goals (5 on aggregate) showed that Milan’s back line wasn’t on the same page. No one was there to close down Diego Costa in dangerous situations. Milan’s midfield wasn’t structured enough to handle Atléti’s attacking prowess. Along with Costa, Arda Turan, Koke, and Raúl García were all free to roam around the box. Scoring just one goal in both legs also hurt the Rossoneri. Atlético had considerably slowed down the game in the second half, but there was no sense of urgency from Milan to capitalize. There were positive moments of Balotelli and Kaká linking up well, but Milan’s attack wasn’t a consistent threat. They played into the tempo Atlético had dictated the entire game. This goes back to Milan’s poor decision-making.
Where it went right:
Diego Simeone and his players went into the second leg not underestimating Milan. The away goal in the first leg at San Siro was a big boost, but they played with the mentality as if they were a goal down. Diego Costa with the support of his teammates were covering so much of the pitch. What Milan couldn’t do, Atlético Madrid excelled at. They rarely lost sight of the ball. Physicality is Atlético’s biggest strength and it’s what allowed them to control the game. Anytime Milan had possession, two or three Atléti players would contain the player and regain possession. Atlético knew how to overload both Milan’s midfield and flanks as well as disrupt any rhythm from Milan’s play. In the end, Simeone’s effective implementation of his tactical knowledge was victorious.
When eleven players come together as one, it is a team’s biggest strength. The names on paper become irrelevant. It’s about playing eye-to-eye against any opponent. It’s about crossing any hurdle. It’s about defying the odds. This is where Milan fell short. Milan savored the “underdog” tag, but failed to deliver. Diego Costa’s opener in the 3rd minute set the tone for the match. Conceding 4 goals (5 on aggregate) showed that Milan’s back line wasn’t on the same page. No one was there to close down Diego Costa in dangerous situations. Milan’s midfield wasn’t structured enough to handle Atléti’s attacking prowess. Along with Costa, Arda Turan, Koke, and Raúl García were all free to roam around the box. Scoring just one goal in both legs also hurt the Rossoneri. Atlético had considerably slowed down the game in the second half, but there was no sense of urgency from Milan to capitalize. There were positive moments of Balotelli and Kaká linking up well, but Milan’s attack wasn’t a consistent threat. They played into the tempo Atlético had dictated the entire game. This goes back to Milan’s poor decision-making.
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| Via Getty Images |
"My job is to keep them up so that they can give everything they have until the end of the season." - Clarence Seedorf
Where it went right:
Diego Simeone and his players went into the second leg not underestimating Milan. The away goal in the first leg at San Siro was a big boost, but they played with the mentality as if they were a goal down. Diego Costa with the support of his teammates were covering so much of the pitch. What Milan couldn’t do, Atlético Madrid excelled at. They rarely lost sight of the ball. Physicality is Atlético’s biggest strength and it’s what allowed them to control the game. Anytime Milan had possession, two or three Atléti players would contain the player and regain possession. Atlético knew how to overload both Milan’s midfield and flanks as well as disrupt any rhythm from Milan’s play. In the end, Simeone’s effective implementation of his tactical knowledge was victorious.
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| Via AFP/Getty Images |
"I am very happy with the result, it is historic. I have warriors on the pitch." - Diego Simeone
Written by: Goral Patel
Follow me on Twitter: @goralpatel