Chelsea vs Crystal Palace: Three things to look for in FA Cup semifinals
2. Response
Chelsea’s second leg performance at the Bernabeu was simply inspiring. The Blues put on a performance for the ages—undoubtedly one of the club’s best all-around showings ever in a European competition—in the Spanish capital, despite coming up just short in the end. The other downside to the result is that even at its best, Chelsea was not good enough over both legs to progress over Real Madrid, and that reality can be crushing. Tuchel has a mountain to climb ahead of kickoff against Crystal Palace in getting his team ready for this massive contest on the back of a heartbreaking Champions League result.
There is no perfect case study for how the Blues will respond on Sunday. However, Liverpool and Manchester City (who both played important Champions League ties midweek, as well) played against one another in the other FA Cup semifinal on Saturday. Together, they provided contrasting case studies on how teams can respond to high stakes European contests just days before.
On the one hand, Jurgen Klopp’s Reds looked fresh and full of life after comfortably eliminating Benfica (6-4 on aggregate) on Wednesday. Liverpool flexed its muscles and showed off its incredible depth. Klopp was able to rotate heavily in the two matches, which allowed the Reds some much-needed time off to regroup between the two huge games. This worked to perfection as Liverpool was able to advance in both competitions rather comfortably.
Meanwhile, Manchester City showed the world exactly what not to do in a semifinal. Pep Guardiola was forced to field his strongest XI against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday as the Citizens clung onto a 1-0 aggregate advantage throughout the 180-minute, two-legged tie. The second leg was extremely taxing to each and every player, which meant Guardiola had to field what many believe to be a ‘B team’ and it showed. Man City was hit for three goals in the first half, which proved to be insurmountable, despite a valiant second half effort.
The Blues have had two more days to rest than their English counterparts were afforded. Nevertheless, it’s hard not to point out the similarities between their match in Madrid and Man City’s game at the Wanda Metropolitano. Both saw the teams leave it all on the pitch in the Spanish capital, spectators witnessed the after effects of that with Guardiola’s men on Saturday. Chelsea needs to be more like Liverpool though if it wants to get past a resilient Crystal Palace team led by an inspiring manager in Vieira.