We all saw how well the Blues performed in the typhoon against Los Blancos in the Spanish capital on Tuesday night. Coupling that with their performance against the other side from Madrid, could Chelsea find itself in a situation where it can recapture the European glory not seen since that fantastic night in Munich?
Well, obviously, there’s a very difficult tie coming up at Stamford Bridge against a Real Madrid side that can score for fun when it wants to. Chelsea’s sturdy defense under Thomas Tuchel will really be put to the test when the second leg comes around, but there’s still a genuine chance for the Blues to sneak past Real Madrid. It will require a lot, but you’ll be able to read about that closer to the time of the tie.
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Is Chelsea good enough to win the Champions League, should it progress past Real Madrid?
This is a very difficult conversation to have. When every player is playing as well as it is known they can, the Blues can beat any side in the world on any given day. However, if football was that easy, it wouldn’t be called the “beautiful game.” To win the Champions League, there are a few things you must have. A world class finisher, a superstar keeper, a solidified defense and a well-run midfield.
Chelsea has the best running midfielder in the world in N’Golo Kante. He’s still able to cover every blade of grass, cut out every pass, dribble past opposing players and win the ball back wherever he is needed. Partnered alongside either Mateo Kovacic or Jorginho, you see a complete midfield depending on the game. Do the Blues have a midfield capable of winning the Champions League? Yes, there’s no way around that.
Between the pipes, you have to have a great keeper to go far in Europe’s premier competition. Someone like Manuel Neuer of the successful Bayern Munich teams during the 2010s comes to mind. Is Edouard Mendy that good? At his best, I would still suggest that there are keepers better than him in the competition. With all due respect to Mendy, I might even suggest that he is the fourth best keeper among the four remaining sides. When he’s on, he’s capable of backstopping the Blues to any silverware. We all know that, but he will need the defense to play well. I’m going to say, if the defense play well, Mendy will not make any mistakes that will cost Chelsea silverware. I do not know if he is good enough to steal his side the trophy, however.
Speaking of the defense, is the Chelsea back line good enough to win the Champions League? This is also a little complicated. This is a conversation of formation against player skill. There are some incredibly talented players in the Blues’ ranks at the back. Thiago Silva is a serial winner. Andreas Christensen, Antonio Rudiger and Kurt Zouma are all very capable centerbacks. Even the club captain, Cesar Azpilicueta, can play as a centerhalf. Azpi can also play as a wingback, with the likes of Reece James on the right or Ben Chilwell and Emerson on the left. We’ve even seen Callum Hudson-Odoi and Christian Pulisic take spells in the wingback role. Defensively, there’s the versatility and the skill to win the Champions League. I do not doubt that.
Now, we get to the part I’ve been dreading. Does Chelsea have a world class finisher who can bag the goals the team needs to get the Champions League trophy back to west London? Yes and no.
Timo Werner is capable of scoring that goal, he will get himself in the position for the chance to materialize too. He will get that chance, and Werner at RB Leipzig likely bags it, but Werner right now probably sends the ball into the river running through the city. Olivier Giroud can score, but he’s very one-dimensional. A big center forward won’t stretch the defense and get in behind. Tammy Abraham isn’t clinical enough to take that one chance he will get. Kai Havertz is the other one. Can he be clinical? Yes. Would he be more likely to play a pass to someone else? Yes. If any of these players can just find some form going into the Champions League, we will likely see the Blues triumph. It’s a question at the top end of the pitch, not the back.
Do you think the Blues can pull off the improbable run to the podium in Istanbul? Let us know in the comments!