closed Zenit 3-3 Chelsea

[Jase 43,479]

Zenit St Petersburg 3-3 Chelsea
PRE/POST-MATCH DISCUSSION, LIVE CHAT AND ANALYSIS



2021/22 Champions League Group Stage Matchday 6
8th December, Wednesday 2021
Gazprom Arena
17:45 Kick Off (UK time)

[MoroccanBlue 5,206]

Injury news.

Chilwell, Chalobah, Havertz, Alonso, Kovacic, Kante, and Jorginho playing with hip pain. 

 

[milka 3,308]

-------------Kepa

--Azpi-----Christensen----Rudiger

James----RLC------Barkley------Saul

-------CHO-------Pulisic

--------------Werner

[NikkiCFC 7,597]

3rd kit introduction? 

[MoroccanBlue 5,206]

53 minutes ago, milka said:

-------------Kepa

--Azpi-----Christensen----Rudiger

James----RLC------Barkley------Saul

-------CHO-------Pulisic

--------------Werner

Might as well throw in Sarr

[Blue Armour 4,168]

Home game itself was tough against these lot.

If James is fit, would start him. And maybe rotate in Azpi if we want to keep Silva fresh. Would still prefer an attacking option on LWB, so CHO has to play that position imo. Unless Tuchel wants to give Saul a new lease of life there.

RLC in CM, and maybe Mount/Barkley partnering. 

Front 3 is anyone's guess. Maybe Tuchel will look to use this game to get Lukaku's match sharpness up,..might as well., since you know he's going to make him start a game soon.

[LAM09 6,557]

Top spot is still up for games, so we need to do our job.

I'd give Saul a chance at LWB if Tuchel seriously sees him as a viable option.

[MoroccanBlue 5,206]

I expect our strongest XI. 

Tuchel takes this competition incredibly seriously. 

[Milan 17,835]

1 hour ago, MoroccanBlue said:

I expect our strongest XI. 

Tuchel takes this competition incredibly seriously. 

Well, technically, we are just 7 games away from winning the competition 😄

[Tomo 21,684]

Zenit are probably going to rotate/not go full pelt in this themselves now they've got nothing to play for (EL for them regardless of the result).

Like with the Seville game last year we need to take some calculated gambles, top vs second isn't the deal breaker it use to be, ever since the new system of putting league/EL/UCL winners into pot A the winners and runners up list for the RO16 has been a lot closer in quality.

Edited December 6, 2021 by Tomo

[cosmicway 1,261]

It's the time of the Christmas wall.
I can remember umpteen seasons where the same thing happened.
Two managers sacked (Mourinho-Lamps). Antonio also ?

The Soviet team is not harmless imho and it's going to be a feather in their cap if they beat Chelsea.
 

[NikkiCFC 7,597]

Hopefully we come back in this stadium in May. 

[Mário César 819]

What will say it will be controversial but I think that is better to get out of UCL at next stage because will get us less games and better conditions to stay at top3 and with some luck fight for the epl

[NikkiCFC 7,597]

Game will be played on around -15 Celsius... But stadium have heating and rooftop so should not be a problem.

[ZAPHOD2319 3,891]

Thank God it is a night game in the UK. It is a 7:45am kick off in Hawaii.

[Strike 6,975]

3 hours ago, Mário César said:

What will say it will be controversial but I think that is better to get out of UCL at next stage because will get us less games and better conditions to stay at top3 and with some luck fight for the epl

We have a far better chance in the UCL than winning the league. We are struggling to break down some teams in the league but a knockout game is ideal for the likes of Kante, Mount who run endlessly and close down spaces.

[Strike 6,975]

9 hours ago, Tomo said:

Zenit are probably going to rotate/not go full pelt in this themselves now they've got nothing to play for (EL for them regardless of the result).

Like with the Seville game last year we need to take some calculated gambles, top vs second isn't the deal breaker it use to be, ever since the new system of putting league/EL/UCL winners into pot A the winners and runners up list for the RO16 has been a lot closer in quality.

Top - City, Liverpool, ManU, Ajax, Madrid, Bayern, Lille

2nd - PSG, Sporting, Inter, Barca, Villarreal, Salzburg, Porto/Milan/Atleti

I'd rather finish top. There is only one team in that whole list that could be a very tough game - Bayern.

[cosmicway 1,261]

7 hours ago, Strike said:

Top - City, Liverpool, ManU, Ajax, Madrid, Bayern, Lille

2nd - PSG, Sporting, Inter, Barca, Villarreal, Salzburg, Porto/Milan/Atleti

I'd rather finish top. There is only one team in that whole list that could be a very tough game - Bayern.

You mean PSG if we finish top. 
Inter also.