Chelsea staved off the inevitable for 50 minutes, and then the inevitable hit good and hard. Here are our player ratings on a loss that was no easier to take just because it was rationally expected.
Bayern Munich were simply too good for Chelsea at every position and every facet of the game. Many of the players needed this experience, and we’ll just have to see if the severe humbling has a positive effect in the long-term.
Willy Caballero, Goalkeeper: 6
Chelsea were wholly responsible for the 0-0 scoreline at halftime: the Blues did not come very close to converting their few chances, and Willy Caballero made three impressive saves to deny Bayern Munich a first half lead. For a goalkeeper with a deserved reputation for being an adventurous, risk-taking wildcard, Caballero was a mature point of stability among a team of mostly young players almost entirely out of their depth. His decision to send goal kicks or back-passes long instead of playing out from the back was a refreshing bit of security, and a good tactical acknowledgment of Olivier Giroud’s presence up top.
Caballero’s next start should not be viewed as part of Kepa Arrizabalaga’s discipline or development process, nor a message-sending stunt by Frank Lampard. Caballero’s earning it.
Cesar Azpilicueta, Right centreback: 5.5
Azpilicueta was a centreback in name only. Few teams stay in their base formation in all phases of the game, but Chelsea spent even less time in the 3-4-3 than they did against Tottenham despite spending so much time without the ball.
Azpilicueta came off the backline even in the press, sometimes becoming the fifth Chelsea player pressing Bayern Munich. This obviously left a large space behind him, which was the source of many Alphonso Davies counterattacks. Maybe Frank Lampard figured Azpilicueta would not be able to do anything one-on-one against Davies, so he may as well put Azpilicueta to more productive use trying to force a turnover in the final third. The role works for Azpilicueta, who seems to be making more sprints per game as the season goes on (and certainly more than in previous seasons), just not against this opponent.
Andreas Christensen, Centreback: 6
Whether it’s the face mask or the time out of the lineup or the wake-up call from seeing what ‘s been happening to Kepa Arrizabalaga or who knows what else, but Andreas Christensen is playing some of this best football in a formation and style quite different from where he had previously secured a place in the team.
Christensen is Azpilicueta’s back-up, which meant Christensen was sweeping up the right third of the defensive zone just as much as he was protecting his nominal position in the central third. He is doing it with more physical challenges – sprinting towards a loose ball to clear it out, perhaps with a slide; aerial duels; tackles – than before. After the last two games, he deserves a chance to play alongside Kurt Zouma and Fikayo Tomori as Lampard reopens the question of who is his best centreback battery.
Antonio Rudiger, Left Centreback: 3
Andreas Christensen at least had an excuse for being out of position in the build-up to Bayern Munich’s goals: he was usually coming over to cover Azpilicueta or try to overload Davies or Serge Gnabry. Christensen committed to his decision, which is something centrebacks need to do: it’s OK to make the wrong decision or to get beat. It’s not OK to be caught in between two options and therefore contribute nothing to either.
That is what Rudiger did throughout the game. He would cover half the distance between the player with the ball on the edge of the box and the target in the box. He wouldn’t be close enough to prevent the player from passing, nor was he close enough to prevent the target from receiving the ball or taking the shot. The passes easily went around him, and the target men were unmarked in front of the net.
Rudiger is normally one of Chelsea’s best passers on defence, but several times on Tuesday he opted to dribble rather than pass. His dribbling makes Kurt Zouma look like Eden Hazard, and it led to about as many turnovers as when Jorginho tries to do the same.