Chelsea strikers: Who won the spot against Barcelona?

Against Manchester United, Manchester City and Crystal Palace, Antonio Conte tested all this striking options. But who will Chelsea use against Barcelona?

Antonio Conte opted for a false nine Eden Hazard when hosting Barcelona. With the Belgian up top, Willian and Pedro could track back and help on defense. It nearly worked. There is still a chance of advancement in the Champions League. But Conte will need to decide between his various options.

Alvaro Morata, Olivier Giroud and Hazard have all started one match since the Champions League draw. Conte likely did so to see what each has to offer and if they deserve to start against Barcelona.

The easiest player to eliminate is Morata. He started against Manchester United after a long injury layoff. It did not go well. Even with his incorrectly called offside goal, he had a poor match. HIs other appearances did little for his case. It is unfortunate, but he is simply not ready for a start in such a crucial fixture.

After that, the choice comes down to risk management. Hazard as a false nine worked against Barcelona last time. It was a failure against Manchester City. Haing Hazard as a striker allows for two more defensive players without the ball (usually Pedro and Willian) but makes the attack overly reliant on Hazard’s mood.

False nine might be the safest option, but Chelsea will need a goal to advance. Hazard should not start as a striker if he cannot be trusted to pull the strings.

Then there is the riskier choice of using Olivier Giroud. The Frenchman had the easiest match to start of the three players but was by far the best. He was unlucky not to score and was pulled off without his name on the scoresheet. He did more than enough to earn a spot in the Camp Nou match.

But Hazard will play regardless. So if Giroud is striker, Hazard will move to his preferred left wing. Attacking wise, that would be a boost. Defensively, it would not. Hazard cannot be trusted to track back and defend. That will make the 5-4-1 defensive set up of a false nine into a 5-3-2 with a striker. That one less man defending could make all the difference.

Next: Chelsea: Alvaro Morata is all the indiscipline of Diego Costa with no upside

So the choice comes down to if Conte trusts his defense or his offense more. Both have failed in recent weeks and only hindsight or a victory will show which is the right choice. Chelsea need a goal, but they cannot concede in their pursuit of it.

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