Chelsea took on Atletico Madrid in the second leg of their last 16 tie in what turned out to be a surprisingly straightforward match for the home side. Touted as a match that would prove a stern test for Thomas Tuchel’s new look, defense-first Chelsea, Atletico were disappointing on the night as the home side came out convincing winners. Here are the player ratings from Chelsea 2, Atletico Madrid 0.
Edouard Mendy (Goalkeeper): 7/10
Wednesday night’s clean sheet against Atletico Madrid meant that over 600 minutes of football has now elapsed since Mendy has had to pick the ball out of the back of his net. In a run of games that featured the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United, Mendy picked up his sixth clean sheet in a row in absolute style with yet another solid display in Chelsea’s goal. Commanding in the box and incredibly composed when the need to make a pass or a save arises, the 28-year-old notably kept things simple throughout the match, providing much-needed composure at the back even in face of increasing pressure from Atletico as the match progressed.
Cesar Azpilicueta (Centerback): 8/10
Deployed in his favored role on the right side of the back three, Chelsea’s captain should consider himself lucky that his tug on Yannick Carrasco inside the box early in the game went unpunished by the officials. In a moment that could have seen him sent off for his rather cynical challenge, the play was instead waved on by the referees and Azpilicueta was left on the pitch to do Azpilicueta things. Superb in his ability to read a game and anticipate offensive threats on goal, it was the Spaniard who threw himself at the feet of Moussa Dembele to deny the Frenchman a tap in at the near post and it was Azpilicueta once again who got in the way of Joao Felix’s shot late on to deflect the ball out for a corner. Moreover, in the absence of Thiago Silva, the 31-year-old’s leadership was likewise crucial in ensuring that Chelsea’s backline was able to maintain its shape for large parts of the match. All in a day’s work for Chelsea’s evergreen steward at the back.
Kurt Zouma (Centerback): 8.5/10
Brought in to replace the more light-weighted Andreas Christensen at the heart of the Chelsea defense, perhaps in anticipation of the more physical side of Atletico’s game, Kurt Zouma was simply outstanding on the night. Having previously been used in a similar fashion in the game against Southampton during which a lapse of concentration from the Frenchman allowed Takumi Minamino through on goal to score, questions were undoubtedly going to be asked of Tuchel’s decision to start the 26-year-old should a similar mistake happen. It was under this kind of pressure, together with months of transfer speculation that have followed due to his lack of involvement under Tuchel that Zouma put in a phenomenal display against the La Liga leaders. Strong in the air and domineering when dealing with threats within the Chelsea box, the Frenchman slipped in seamlessly between Azpilicueta and Rudiger, never putting a foot wrong across the 95 minutes he spent on the pitch. It was a performance that has certainly provided much food for thought as Chelsea continue to contemplate how best to move forward with their centerback options beyond this season.
Antonio Rudiger (Centerback):9/10
My man-of-the-match on the night, the German’s resurgence since Thomas Tuchel’s appointment has been nothing short of the spectacular. Composed when on the ball and incredibly aggressive when off it, Rudiger completely nullified Atletico’s attacking threat throughout the entirety of the match with Luis Suarez’s 59th-minute substitution a testament as to just how effective the 28-year-old was. More importantly, the German’s no-nonsense, take-no-prisoners style of play most certainly got into the heads of his Atletico counterparts and Stefan Savic’s sending off was arguably a direct result of this. Wednesday’s victory and clean sheet mark Rudiger’s 16th of the season in just 21 matches and on the evidence of his performance against Atletico, it is no surprise that rumors are already pointing towards an imminent extension of his contract at Chelsea.
Reece James (Right Wing-back): 7.5/10
Another crucial part of Chelsea’s solid showing at the back, Reece James was equally important in the team’s frequent forays into Atletico’s half down the right-hand side of the field. Blessed with great speed and power, James was a threat both on the overlap and the underlap, either cutting in field to take a shot, or more frequently, running in on the overlap to provide lethal crosses into the opposition box. It was his cleverly disguised ball that allowed Ziyech a great chance to curl one in from the edge of the box and it was his low driven cross that almost found Havertz for an easy tap in. Quite simply put, it was an outstanding night for Chelsea and England’s up and coming right-back.
N’Golo Kante (Central Midfielder): 9/10
It has been such a long time since Chelsea fans have been able to see N’Golo Kante at his best, but Wednesday’s display was quintessential Kante. Running the midfield together with Kovacic in the absence of Jorginho, the Frenchman was everywhere he needed to be throughout the entirety of the game. Cutting out passing lanes, making last ditch interceptions, and driving forward every time the ball was won high up the pitch as part of Chelsea’s new-found pressing game under Tuchel, Kante was vital in helping in helping his team win and then keep the ball. Turning 30 in just eleven days’ time, Kante’s fitness most certainly has to be managed to prevent his recurring muscle injury issues from flaring up again. Nonetheless, when fully fit, Kante remains Chelsea’s only genuine world-class player, a fact Saul Niguez and Koke can surely attest to on the night.
Mateo Kovacic (Central Midfielder): 8/10
The other half of Chelsea’s midfield double act, Kovacic’s selection was undoubtedly in some parts driven by Chelsea’s suspension issues in the middle of the park with Jorginho and Mason Mount both unable for selection. Nonetheless, the Croat was once again at his imperative best against Atletico Madrid. His quick feet and incredibly dribbling abilities saw him frequently drop deeper into Chelsea’s half to receive the ball on the half-turn as the team continued to play out from the back despite the Atletico press. In this regard, Kovacic proved vital in allowing Tuchel to execute his game plan and Atletico Madrid’s players ultimately found him too hot to handle on the night.
Marcos Alonso (Left Wingback): 7/10
Much has always been said about Alonso’s attacking instincts as a player and while that is most certain true in the way that Chelsea’s crossing from the right was almost exclusively done with him as the main aerial threat in the box, the Spaniard was also solid at the back. Working in tandem with Antonio Rudiger, Alonso effectively shut down Chelsea’s entire left flank, with Yannick Carrasco, Luis Suarez, and Moussa Dembele all unable to create any chances or even half-chances to put the tie in any kind of jeopardy throughout the course of the 90. Neither the most elegant nor the fastest defender around at the club, Alonso nevertheless gets the job done and he most certainly got it done against the Los Colchoneros on Wednesday night.
Hakim Ziyech (Right Winger): 6.5/10
This might be a harsh rating for Ziyech considering that it was he who opened the scoring on the night following a devastating Chelsea counterattack. However, the truth is that Ziyech was, for large parts of the game, rather poor when it came to his passing, a side of his game that is supposedly almost second nature to him.
Moreover, the Moroccan did not apply the best of finishes when on the end of Werner’s low cross into the box and was honestly rather fortunate that the ball ultimately squirmed past Jan Oblak and into the back of the net. Appearing too lightweight at times and nonchalant otherwise, perhaps the 27-year-old just needs more time to hit the heights he did with Ajax just a season prior.
Kai Havertz (Striker/False Nine): 7/10
Despite not getting on the scoresheet again against Atletico Madrid, Wednesday’s match once again proves further evidence of the qualities that the German most certainly possess. Moving across the front line as part of a fluid attacking system, Havertz frequently dropped deeper to provide the necessary link-up between the midfield and attack and at times chose to stay higher up the pitch to win the long ball over the top. Moreover, the 21-year-old was notably stronger on the ball than he was in the earlier stages of his Chelsea career and was vital in allowing his team to drive the ball forward in attack. Chelsea’s opening goal came because of a series of quick interplay between him and Timo Werner before the latter rolled the ball across the face of goal for Hakim Ziyech to score at the back post. There were times however, that the German’s final pass fell short of what was expected, most notably when he overhit a pass too much to the left when a simple ball to feet would have sent Werner through on goal. Nonetheless, it was once again another promising display from the club’s marquee signing last summer and the best is most certainly still to come.
Timo Werner (Left Winger): 7/10
Unlucky not to have gotten on the scoresheet himself having had his low driven shot well saved by Oblak in the first half, Werner nonetheless still found a way to positively impact the scoreline with his ball into Ziyech responsible for opening the scoring on the night. Direct in his running and blessed with his incredible turn of pace, Werner looked a constant threat operating from the left side of Chelsea’s attack, bouncing off Kai Havertz and Marcos Alonso well as he constantly sought to exploit the space in behind Atletico’s defense. Amidst talk of a potential return to Germany after just a season in England, Werner once again reminds fans exactly what he brings to the table whenever he is on the pitch. All in all, it was an all-round excellent display from Chelsea’s number 11.
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