Closed Basel 1-2 Chelsea

[didierforever 7,349]

i thought this was a really-really good AWAY performance from us. sit back and counter, the only thing missing was the finishing. MOSES was a beast today... very very unlucky to have conceded the penalty but that might work in our favor considering now we have 2 AWAY goals.

ps - torres please FUCK OFF.

[Ollie 4,400]

So happy with that win. In Liverpool we conceded with the last kick of the game. 4 days later in Switzerland we scored with the last kick of the game. Maybe some things are just meant to be. We controlled the game, it was easy tbh EASY... yet we just couldn't get that 2nd goal and then just like in both games against Rubin, the referee gives the most disgustingly atrocious penalty decision you're even likely to see, this one being the absolute worst. Us and penalties in Europe... what a relationship that one is!

I was about to reach breaking point when he scored it tbh, i was getting so heated up with the events of Sunday and now this pen i was getting genuinely angry with our ineptness to win games, to kill games these fucking games off or at least to see it out.

So thankful for the David Luiz goal, it shoulda been saved really but it made everything right and 2-1 is better than 1-0. I would've been so pissed off if that had finished 1-1 despite it being a good result in the scheme of things.

Now on to the home game. We need to do a job still, it's far from over. Basel like to play away as they don't feel the pressure as much but surely we have to have too much for them now.That Luiz goal was so huge.

1 more point.... I love David Luiz. How can anyone say he shoulda been sent off? He kicked the ball for fuck sake, a foot cannot go through someone without making contact. It wasn't even a foul, get real. In slow-mo it looks dodgy but slo-mo isn't real-mo is it? you try n make a tackle then make your foot stop immediately so it doesn't follow through. David Luiz sometimes goes in rash but imo he goes in fairly and i also think he'll be a Chelsea great. He can do everything.

[termninja 5,290]

I was really really pissed about that penalty...FFS, refs just keep sticking it up to us, game after game...thankfully Luiz eased things of before the end. Brilliant goal!

[Mufassir08 2,400]

I was very impressed by both of their CB's especially fabian schar.

[AndersonBLUE 819]

how many times must we be dicked by the ref this season

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Moses my MOTM. Worked his butt off all night and defended extremely well. Was our best attacker in the first half and got himself a goal on top of it all.

JT and Lamps really rolled back the years tonight. Good performance by both.

Luiz had his moments, including the goal obviously, but I thought he was bad overall. Too many touches on the ball and too many needless attempted dribbles. Luckily Basel did not have the quality to punish us, but a better side definitely will. I counted at least 5 times when he needlessly tried to dribble and ended up losing the ball, including the one he should have had a red card for. The thing is, Luiz is an excellent defender who's been doing extremely well for us lately; Why try to change that for something that is clearly not working?!

Anyway, 1-2 is a great result away from home and we really deserved that goal at the end. Hopefully this makes things a bit less complicated at the bridge.

EDIT: A few more thoughts:

- This was one of the best I've seen us play away this season. Tactically we were very dominant (well done FSW) and the team set up ver very well with everyone standing his position well. Yes, we lost our way a bit before their goal, but we upped a gear after conceded and created two-three great chances to score and did. The game was ours to do anything we wanted to with.

- Ashley had such a great game that the Swiss coach had to change tactics from emphasis on the right wing in the first half where they created nothing to emphasis in the left falnk in the second where they got better offensively. When we play Moses on the left with Cole and JT, that left side of the defense looks impenetrable!

- I really liked the 4-4-1-1. We looked much more solid, with our lines closer to each other, and Mata enjoyed the extra freedom he got. Would definitely like to see it again.

[Bir_CFC 3,455]

Luiz scored the winner but I must be watching a different game than everyone here cause I didn't think he had a good game at all as a holding midfielder. Fair enough if he wins MOTM cause he scored the winner but as a holding mid, not good enough (not many in the squad are at the moment though).

[Joey Zhou 14]

Torres is bad... really bad, so bad that no one will want to buy him.

He just had a bad day.

[IkE 267]

He just had a bad day.

Couple of seasons I think you wanted to say.

[Sheva. 5,373]

He just had a bad day.

He always has a bad day. It can't even be called a bad day anymore, just a bad player.

[Blue Android 16]

Good game!
not really the best, but considering what Basel did to other opponents this year, 1-2 is super. The ref was SH^& and that was no way a penalty.
Hazard was good, but a bit unlucky and to be fair he wasn't comfortable when he had his shots on goal.
Torres was really unlucky and clumsy, particularly in the first half. Also, we had several dangerous shots stopped by the Basel keeper and defenders in the last 15 minutes or so.
Overall, the players were good...stop the negativity people KTBFFH

[OneMoSalah 8,614]

"we deserved a draw"

"chelsea has played defensively"

"we were better"

- basel player valentin stocker in german tv

Bitter bastard he is. His team were lucky to get a chance to score from the spot, rarely showed anything and deserved to lose.

P.S Victor Moses haters, shove that performance in your pipe and smoke it.

[Jase 43,479]

That would have been a freaking terrible injustice had Luiz not scored the late goal. It's the 3rd Europa League game in a row where a soft penalty has been given against us and this is just getting ridiculous really. I mean how many more times are referees are gonna screw us with their appalling decisions, domestically and in Europe?!

Anyway, a win is the very least we deserved and once again, we created tons of chances and great ones too but only converted one of them. We're so lacking that ruthlessness in front of goal this season and that is just frustrating. It's one of the problems why we have not won as many games this season as we should! Other than that, thought everyone did well and certainly executed the game plan to near perfection in nullifying their main threats and ensure they create as little as possible. Did expect better from Basel it has to be said but who cares. We should finish the tie off next week with this lead but now, we must beat Swansea on Sunday!

[Blue Android 16]

edited for double posting :/

[BlueLyon 9,359]

You complaining about ref but Luiz tackle was straight red card. Try to be objective once.

Very interesting game to watch though.

[Land 331]

I was very impressed by both of their CB's especially fabian schar.

What?Their entire defense was terrible, specially their CBs who couldn't even handle Torres

[MHL 47 378]

Best away performance in Europe from us for a while. Most of the time the game was well controlled and they gave us few problems with their efforts, we looked most in danger when we gave possession away in poor areas and they broke back at us.

No need to go mad at home now, more of the same and we're almost there. Their defending at corners and set-pieces looked poor to me and we can definately exploit this in the second leg.

Cole played well, 'Dave' looked solid enough (joke of a decision for the penalty), Luiz did OK save for a few 'mad-dave' moments, didn't think there was any malice in the tackle people are talking about, he got to the ball first and momentum took his foot through the ball and onto the fella's ankle. Hazard good until the final ball, except the chance laid on for Torres to hit the post. Terry had a decent game but wasn't greatly tested.

Overall, a job well done.

A bit wasteful in front of goal but upped our game after the equaliser, bit poor that we sat on the 1-0 a bit.

[Jase 43,479]

Just some (usual) stats to throw in...

1. Prior to Fulham last week, Chelsea won only 2 of last 11 away matches in all competitions - W2 D4 L5. Last 3 away games? W2 D1.

2. Chelsea have now W2 L1 against Swiss oppositions (St. Gallen & Basel) in European competitions.