It’s Champions League matchday six and Chelsea welcomes Group E foe Krasnodar. What are some things to look for in the contest?
Chelsea welcomes Krasnodar in matchday six of the Champions League. The Blues saved the easiest fixture for last and they should be thankful as a crucial few weeks lie ahead. This game will provide a much needed rest to some of Frank Lampard’s key players squeezed in between one of the year’s toughest months. In the grand scheme of things, this midweek meeting is rather futile, but the show must go on. If the London side hopes to do the double and head into the Round of 16 in form, it does need to prepare accordingly. Here are some things to look for in the match between the Blues and the Bulls:
1. Target practice
It’s a well-known fact amongst the Chelsea faithful that the Blues forwards are struggling to hit the mark. Timo Werner’s attempts have all fallen short—or gone wide—in recent weeks and despite Olivier Giroud’s five goals in the last week, he too has missed multiple simple opportunities. The wingers’ pool of goals has dried up, as well. The reason for this is unknown and as long as the Blues keep winning, this is not a concern. However, the minute the switch is flipped in an inopportune direction, things could turn sour in the blink of an eye.
The warning signs are there. Chelsea has failed to score in a handful of big matches this season: Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham and Sevilla (first leg). While the Blues are riding the wave of a long unbeaten run, a few of those games have been ugly. Further, Kurt Zouma is joint-top of the team’s Premier League scoresheet. It’s been a weird season and the sources of the scoring have added to that. The home tie against Krasnodar offers an opportunity for Chelsea to cure itself of this curse.
Krasnodar has already locked up third place in the group and the Bulls have a tough tie at the weekend against Lokomotiv Moscow, who sits two places above them in the Russian Premier League. Krasnodar has already struggled with injuries and illness this season and Murad Musayev will want his squad fresh for the upcoming Europa League campaign. The Russian’s likeliness to start back-ups provides the Blues with the chance to get back to top scoring form, regardless of who takes the pitch.