Chelsea player ratings: Caballero gave 45 minutes of hope, Kovacic alone fit in

Reece James, Right wingback: 5

Reece James often plays a bit too casually and comfortably. Fortunately, he didn’t do anything like that against Bayern Munich, as if he knew too well the gap in quality between his team and theirs, and between him and his opponents. But most of Munich’s attacks came down Chelsea’s right, where he is supposed to be the first line of defence in transition and among the last lines on actual defence. He made his share of tackles and won a few one-on-one’s, but overall a muted performance from someone who normally finds a spotlight.

Jorginho, Midfielder: 3

Remember back in the day when the Sarritologists proclaimed the Era of Jorginho because he was given the warm-bucket-of-spit appointment as vice-captain? Well let’s talk about leadership, shall we?

It’s one thing to get a yellow card for dissent when a foul you are directly involved in goes the wrong way. It’s one thing for the temperature to rise a bit too quickly in an already heated discussion late in a game full of grievances. Only a true leader, a leader wrapped inside a regista, will sprint up to the referee out of absolute nowhere to regista (SWIDT?) his complaint about a call that didn’t involve him and to do it in such an aggressive way that the referee unhesitatingly and without any prior infraction or interaction give that player a yellow card.

Oh, and for added spice, that teats-on-a-boar level of unnecessary booking means Jorginho is suspended for the mostly meaningless reverse leg. Good. Billy Gilmour could use the experience.

Overall, though, it’s good Jorginho did that. Otherwise we’d have nothing to say about him aside from referencing his turnovers, most of which happened when he had to do something with the ball in some direction other than the one he was facing. And without those, well, there’d be nothing to talk about.

Mateo Kovacic, Midfielder: 7

Mateo Kovacic was the only player Frank Lampard praised by name, saying the Croatian “played with a personality and a quality that makes you go ‘he could play in any team with that level.'” Even that might be a bit of a stretch, but Kovacic was certainly the only Chelsea player who looked like he belonged on the pitch on a Tuesday night against Bayern Munich in a knockout round game. Kovacic didn’t look overawed or intimidated or deflated, perhaps because he is one of the few Blues to have been at clubs that live under greater pressure and scrutiny than Chelsea ever impose.

Kovacic did everything he normally does. If every other player did that, the Blues still probably would not have won, but they would at least have a chance and maybe a bit more self- (and other) respect going to Munich in a few weeks.

Marcos Alonso, Left wingback: 6

Unsurprisingly, Alonso had some of the best scoring chances and involvements in the build up to chances. Similarly unsurprisingly, he rarely got caught out of position on defence because he never over-extended himself going forward: for all the times he goes into the box or into the centre of the pitch, he never lingers there unnecessarily. Once the moment is gone, he drifts out to cover his defensive duties, because he knows as well as the rest of us that he needs position since he does not have the pace.

His red card was an inexplicable call by the referee. There was no malice, it did not impede a clear goal-scoring opportunity and he did not build up any pattern of discipline or infractions with the referee. It would have been a harsh but acceptable yellow card, but a straight red has no readily apparent basis.