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Chelsea: Three key clashes as Blues face sinking Saints

By Travis Tyler

LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 17: Oriol Romeu of Southampton battles for possession with Ben Chilwell of Chelsea during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Southampton at Stamford Bridge on October 17, 2020 in London, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Matthew Childs - Pool/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 17: Oriol Romeu of Southampton battles for possession with Ben Chilwell of Chelsea during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Southampton at Stamford Bridge on October 17, 2020 in London, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Matthew Childs - Pool/Getty Images) /
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Dortmund’s head coach Thomas Tuchel celebrates with the trophy after the German Cup (DFB Pokal) final football match Eintracht Frankfurt v BVB Borussia Dortmund at the Olympic stadium in Berlin on May 27, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Tobias SCHWARZ / RESTRICTIONS: ACCORDING TO DFB RULES IMAGE SEQUENCES TO SIMULATE VIDEO IS NOT ALLOWED DURING MATCH TIME. MOBILE (MMS) USE IS NOT ALLOWED DURING AND FOR FURTHER TWO HOURS AFTER THE MATCH. == RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE == FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT DFB DIRECTLY AT +49 69 67880/ (Photo credit should read TOBIAS SCHWARZ/AFP via Getty Images)
Dortmund’s head coach Thomas Tuchel celebrates with the trophy after the German Cup (DFB Pokal) final football match Eintracht Frankfurt v BVB Borussia Dortmund at the Olympic stadium in Berlin on May 27, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Tobias SCHWARZ / RESTRICTIONS: ACCORDING TO DFB RULES IMAGE SEQUENCES TO SIMULATE VIDEO IS NOT ALLOWED DURING MATCH TIME. MOBILE (MMS) USE IS NOT ALLOWED DURING AND FOR FURTHER TWO HOURS AFTER THE MATCH. == RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE == FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT DFB DIRECTLY AT +49 69 67880/ (Photo credit should read TOBIAS SCHWARZ/AFP via Getty Images) /

2. Bundesliga rematch

Chelsea’s initial choice to replace Frank Lampard was Ralf Rangnick as an interim manager. Failing at that, they turned towards one of his many apprentices in Tuchel. Rangnick’s coaching tree is wide, rivaling even Marcelo Bielsa’s, and opposite in the dugout to Tuchel will be another Rangnick apprentice and another manager Chelsea was rumored to be looking at: Ralph Hasenhuttl.

Tuchel and Hasenhuttl have faced off four times before this match, with all four being when both were in the Bundesliga. The first two matches came when Hasenhuttl was at FC Ingolstadt in the 2015/2016 season. Tuchel’s Dortmund were convincing winners both times with a 4-0 and a 2-0 to their name.

Related Story. Chelsea: Three things to look for during the trip to Southampton. light

The following season, Hasenhuttl had jumped over to newly promoted upstarts RB Leibzig. The Austrian immediately went all in with Rangnick and the Red Bull International style of play, but it still wasn’t enough to get completely past Tuchel. Both sides saw themselves victors of 1-0 wins.

Chelsea versus Southampton exists somewhere in between those four meetings. Southampton isn’t as good as Leipzig was then or as poor as Ingolstadt. Chelsea isn’t as good as Dortmund was then either, though on current form they arguably are the equivalent. This will be a matchup of two of Rangnick’s most successful students at two very different teams quality and form wise. Will past encounters tip the scales? That is the question.

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