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UEFA Super Cup: Chelsea vs Villarreal predicted XI, 3-5-2 or 3-4-3?

By Olaoluwa Nwobodo

LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 15: Callum Hudson-Odoi of Chelsea during The Emirates FA Cup Final match between Chelsea and Leicester City at Wembley Stadium on May 15, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 15: Callum Hudson-Odoi of Chelsea during The Emirates FA Cup Final match between Chelsea and Leicester City at Wembley Stadium on May 15, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images) /
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Chelsea’s French-born Senegalese goalkeeper Edouard Mendy (R) gestures to Chelsea’s German defender Antonio Rudiger (L) during the pre-season friendly football match between Arsenal and Chelsea at The Emirates Sadium in north London on August 1, 2021. (Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Chelsea’s French-born Senegalese goalkeeper Edouard Mendy (R) gestures to Chelsea’s German defender Antonio Rudiger (L) during the pre-season friendly football match between Arsenal and Chelsea at The Emirates Sadium in north London on August 1, 2021. (Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images) /

Chelsea ended last season on a high, lifting the UEFA Champions League. The Blues now have the opportunity to start the new season on a high as well, staring at the UEFA Super Cup. Chelsea has looked sharp in preseason and it’s easy to see the team carrying that form into the season, especially considering its first two competitive games are Villarreal and Crystal Palace.

This is a cup final and Thomas Tuchel will want to start the season with a win, so who does he trust to start the Super Cup against Europa League winners Villarreal?

Edouard Mendy (No. 16) Goalkeeper, Senegal

Edouard Mendy starts the UEFA Super Cup in the most surprising selection ever. Mendy recorded 17 league league clean sheets last season and 30 across all competitions. He broke the record for clean sheets and goals conceded in the Champions League last season, including a clean sheet in the final, ensuring Chelsea is in a position to contest the upcoming Super Cup. Mendy’s shot stopping was superb last season, averaging a 70 percent save percentage in the league and a 91 percent save rate in the Champions League, 80 percent on average in all competitions. He will be leaving for AFCON sometime next year, so the Blues have to make the most of the time he’s around. They can do this by helping him keep as many clean sheets as possible to put Chelsea in the best possible position when he leaves.

Related Story. Three things to look for as Chelsea seeks Super Cup redemption. light

Cesar Azpilicueta (No. 28) Right centerback, Spain

Cesar Azpilicueta’s only minutes in preseason came in the in-house friendly behind closed doors on Saturday. Chelsea has few players that can play the right centerback role as well as Azpilicueta. His leadership in this game will also be crucial. He was Chelsea’s most featured player under Tuchel last season, this is no surprise as Azpilicueta consistently delivered top performances for the Blues in the Premier League and Champions League.

Kurt Zouma (No. 15) Centerback, France

Kurt Zouma has played well this preseason. He has had a chance to build his fitness more than some of the other centerbacks. He was linked to West Ham around the time Chelsea was linked to Sevilla’s Jules Kounde. West Ham and Chelsea couldn’t agree on the valuation of Zouma and they seem to be linked to be more recently linked to Schalke 04’s Matija Nastasic. As it stands, Zouma looks set to stay at Chelsea, though he knows he will likely get under 30 appearances this season.

Antonio Rudiger (No. 2) Left centerback, Germany

Antonio Rudiger was one of Chelsea’s key players last season and rightly so. His ability to step out of the defensive line when needed to obstruct the opposition in transition was well suited to the left centerback role. His 11 clean sheets in 17 league games highlights how much his presence helped the Blues. His seven clean sheets in 11 UCL games highlights the role he played in Chelsea’s defensive solidity in the Champions League.

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