After the horror show against City, I hope Audi will abandon the hopeless 3-5-2 and return to what made us the winners of the CL Here's my (optimistic) team, I am again starting to thing the youth is being marginalised by Audi, but the "old guard" was hopeless against the speed and power of City. So Mendy Chalobah Christensen Rudi Dave Loftus- Cheek Jorginho Chillwell Mount Lukaku ( Ziyech., replace with Havertz) Wish we still had Timo Livramento for right side of attack, CHO is just not good enough for mine, sell ASAP, so Dave gets the gong. Edit to my team, I'm going for Havertz and putting Ziyech on the bench. Another edit, Mount out Ziyech back in. So front 3 Ziyech Lukaku Havertz
…..for me it has to be Loftus Cheek with Kai Havertz, when they came on against Man City I wondered how good they’d have been together from the start.
Dybala and Morata both out for Juve. 3/4 years ago I'd have been looking at this game with trepidation but we are a far better side than Juve now. Win this then finishing top of the group is there for the taking. With no away goal rule in place + fans back in grounds we really have to make sure we finish top of the group.
Kepa James Christensen Silva Dave Ruben Jorginho Kovacic Chillwell Havertz Beast Have to reward Ruben with a start.
And so it proved. Lucky to come home only 1-0 down after another sub standard showing. All the ball but unable to score.
No need to panic... yet. 2 tough games and everyone wants to beat the champions. What does concern me is Lukaku. He was brought in to score goals and has missed a few decent chances recently. Unfortunately I won’t be giving him the benefit of the doubt as he’s supposed to be complete this time. He needs to find the net and fast... and a lot.
To be fair he got zero decent ball v City, but he blew it twice last night and really should have put one of them away. Hope the "Chelsea Strikers' Curse" isn't starting to happen again !!!!! I know he's better than he was, but Jorginho doesn't contribute enough go forward or open up defences for his front men for me. Kovacic makes some good runs, but can't score. Maybe Loftus- Cheek needs a run of games, starting with the next 2 or 3 in the PL to get him going.
We have a very poor record against Italian sides so that result isn't surprising, if there is one we could afford to lose that was the fixture.