SB Nation 2010-11 UEFA Champions League
+3
Chelsea's 2-0 victory in Copenhagen gives Carlo Ancelotti liberties for Wednesday's second leg at Stamford Bridge. SB Nation Soccer Editor Richard Farley looks at Wednesday's other UEFA Champions League fixture.
A much improved Copenhagen team has played Chelsea on a much more even footing through 45 minutes, taking the second leg of the teams' UEFA Champions League scoreless into halftime, even coming closest to an opening goal when a Dame N'Doye struck the left upright in the 27th minute. But Chelsea has continuously threatened their guests to generate a series of near chances and are still firmly in control of this tie, leading 2-0 on aggregate.
The Blues have continuously been able to open-up the right side of Copenhagen's defense, with Ashley Cole overlapping Yuri Zhirkov drawing Copenhagen's right back (Oscar Wendt) wide, opening up the channel between him and Mathias Janka. Chelsea's been able to exploit the space to create chances to the right of Johan Wiland, though numerous attempts found the side netting.
For Copenhagen, it is a stark improvement on a first leg that saw them outplayed in their first knockout round appearance. Today, FCK started energetically, keeping Chelsea from settling into the match until the quarter hour mark. From there, however, Chelsea was able to roll passes beyond a high Copenhagen line, something that will need to be corrected by FCK is the Danish champions are going to have a chance at pulling the upset.
There was a lot of speculation regarding Carlo Ancelotti's selection, with the Chelsea manager carrying a safe 2-0 lead into Wednesday's UEFA Champions League match against FC Copenhagen. Arguably the weakest of the 16 sides to make the second phase, Copenhagen would be generously described as long shots to turn around that deficit at Stamford Bridge. As such, many thought Ancelotti was rest some veterans.
And he has, though not to the extent he could. Fernando Torres and Michael Essien will be rested, but other veterans that could have been sparred - Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole - are starting, but Ancelotti apparently set to stay with his 4-4-2.
Chelsea, Starting XI: Cech / Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Terry, Cole / Ramires, Mikel, Lampard, Zhirkov / Anelka, Drogba
Bench: Turnbull, Ferreira, McEahran, Essien, Kalou, Malouda, Torres
Copenhagen has gone back to the 4-4-1-1 they playing in group stage after using a 4-4-2 in the first leg. While FCK often uses that formation in league, it created a series of un-winnable match-ups against Chelsea. Today, Cesar Santin goes to the bench, with Martin Vingaard returning to the starting XI.
Copenhagen, Starting XI: Wiland / Wendt, Antonsson, Zanka, Bengtsson / Bolanos, Kvist, Claudemir, Vingaard / Gronkjaer, N'Doye
Bench: Delaney, Kristensen, Christensen, Zahore, Bergvold, Hooiveld, Santin
Chelsea's 2-0 win at Copenhagen in the first leg brings an unfortunate tinge of anticlimax to Wednesday's UEFA Champions League match at Stamford Bridge. Carlo Ancelotti has already admitted that he will be rotating his squad with an eye toward Sunday's match against Manchester City. That means Fernando Torres will not play, though that's the only decision the Italian would betray on Tuesday, most think Michael Essien will start on the bench.
But as you look at Chelsea's squad, there aren't a lot of places where changes seem probable. Perhaps we could see players like Salomon Kalou and Yuri Khirkov get rare starts, but David Luiz being cup-tied limits Ancelotti's options at the back. It's always difficult to imagine a healthy Frank Lampard being left out, and with Yossi Benayoun and Alex just returning from their long-term absences, the list of options is relatively thin. There aren't Manchester United or Arsenel-esque changes to be made.
Copenhagen are also unlikely to make significant changes, though one difference between Wednesday's match and the February 22 meeting will be preparedness. The first leg had the Danish champions playing their first meaningful match since December 7, a facet of the meeting that's since been overblown. Some hypothesized their poor showing against the Blues was a symptom of rust or lack of fitness, but Copenhagen had played six friendlies between the new year and the late February meeting. A better theory for the first leg's result: Chelsea is a better team.
Stale Solbakken, Copenhagen's manager, confesses his team needs something miraculous to happen. While the 43-year-old Norwegian is saying all the right things, cliches like (paraphrasing) the first goal will be crucial, there is a resignation to his tone - an implicit acknowledgment his team will need an element of luck.
None of Chelsea's main contributors are dealing with injury concerns. Even the long-term absences of role players Yossi Benayoun and Alex have silver linings. Each could make the bench this weekend versus Manchester City. David Luiz is the only forced absence, cup-tied from this time with Benfica.
For Copenhagen, Zdenek Pospech will be suspended, meaning Solbakken may have to move Oscar Wendt to right back, bringing Pierre Bengtsson into the team on the left. Central defender Mikael Antonsson had been a doubt earlier this week, but the Swede is expected to start.
Chelsea, Starting XI: Cech / Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Terry, Cole / Ramires, Mikel, Lampard, Zhirkov / Kalou, Anelka; Bench: Turnbull, Ferriera, Sala, Malouda, McEachran, Essien, Drogba
Copenhagen, Starting XI: Wiland / Wendt, Antonsson, Hooiveld, Bengtsson / Bolanos, Claudemir, Kvist, Vingaard / Gronkjaer, N'Doye, Bench: Absalonsen, Bergvold, Kristensen, Zahore, Delaney, Christensen, Santin
No way to jazz this up: Chelsea 3, Copenhagen 0.
Chelsea FC Vs. FC Copenhagen, 2011 UEFA Champions League, Match Review: Blues Go Through After Scoreless Draw, No Reason For Panic
At least the match is over, as is those two hours of our lives, with both Chelsea and visiting Copenhagen getting victories in their UEFA Champions League match. The Danish champions' victory was moral, getting a 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea's victory was real, advancing to the quarterfinals after a 2-0 aggregate victory, though the match is bound to illicit criticism.
The Blues started slow thanks to a opening burst of energy from their opponents, but after 15 minutes the match settled to something like the context we saw on Copenhagen. Only tonight, with the Blues lacking the impetus of the first leg, there was a lack of cunning in those moments after the FCK defense was beaten, leaving Carlo Ancelotti's team without a goal at home against the smallest of the Round of 16's speed bumps.
Chelsea, however, are likely to look at this as a pedestrian day at the office. While this was nothing close to their best performance, the Blues never had the intention of giving their best. Nor did they have that intention in the first leg. The Blues approached this round as a warm-up - a tune-up - for the remainder to the tournament.
From here forward, Chelsea will have take this competition more seriously. Nothing about today's results hints they're incapable of doing so.
Mar 16 5:51p by Richard Farley - 0 comments