Champions League 2nd Round 2nd Leg Preview (16-03-2011)
After a shaky mid season for Chelsea, they seem to be getting back to their best. Although their charge for the Premier League trophy may have been affected by their dip in form, they’ve still got a great chance to advance into the quarter finals of the Champions League at Stamford Bridge later tonight. Since their FA Cup exit to Everton just under a month ago, Chelsea have had three good results, they managed to roll over Copenhagen in Denmark winning by two goals to nil. They’ve also beaten Manchester United and Blackpool in the league, 2-1 and 3-1 respectively.
Chelsea will be looking to build on their good form in this competition so far this season with a solid performance against FC Copenhagen. So far Chelsea have won six out of the seven games they’ve played in the Champions League this year, their only defeat coming to Olympique Marseille at the Stade Velodrome in their last game of the group stages. They go into the 2nd leg tonight with a two goal lead, both of which are away goals.
Nicolas Anelka will hope to continue his great form in the competition this season, the Chelsea striker has managed seven goals in six games so far this year, only one goal behind the likes of Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, Inter Milan’s Samuel Eto’o and Bayern Munich’s Mario Gomez. This is of course if he retains his place, Carlo Ancelotti has the wonderful problem of trying to decide who he’s going to play out of Didier Drogba, Fernando Torres and Nicolas Anelka, he’ll most likely pick two of the three as he’ll probably continue with the new look 4-4-2 formation they’ve been playing as of late.
Carlo Ancelotti has had some positive news in the past few days in regards to the injuries at Chelsea, Alex is in the running to be including to tonight’s squad, the chances are he’ll start on the bench but Alex will no doubt be pushing for a starting place. Alex will want to make a good impression as new signing David Luiz has proved to be a hit at Stamford Bridge so far this season, and with John Terry the mainstay of the Chelsea defence, Luiz looks like Alex’s biggest competition for a starting place. Ancelotti has also been told that Yossi Benayoun will be able to join up with the squad and return for training after the Champions League tie, two massive boosts going into the final stages of the season.
The runaway leaders of the Danish Superliga, FC Copenhagen, will be hoping to spring a shock result tonight, the Danish outfit are nineteen points clear in their domestic competition but have had mixed fortunes since Chelsea beat them by two goals to nil in the first leg of the Champions League 2nd round. Copenhagen scraped past bottom side AaB by one goal to nil at the weekend, whilst losing to FC Midjylland 4-2 away from home; this was their first domestic loss of the season.
If Copenhagen are to progress tonight they will need strikers Santin and N’Doye to be on top form, the pair have scored twenty-six goals between them in the league so far this season, more than any other player in the league. Copenhagen will also be looking to Jesper Gronkjaer to use his experience in hope that he can help his current club beat his former club of four years, a club he left just before they went on their trophy winning streak with Jose Mourinho. It will be an emotional night for Jesper Gronkjaer, but Copenhagen will have to hope he doesn’t get distracted by the occasion.
Copenhagen’s manager Stale Solbakken does have a few choices to make in regards to selection tonight. Defender Zdenek Pospech is suspended for the tie, Mikael Antonsson, another defender, is touch and go as he’s trying to shake off a buttock injury. Solbakken still doesn’t know if Antonsson will start tonight, William Kvist and Oscar Wendt are on standby if Solbakken needs to call on them.
All in all Chelsea will be expected to sweep past FC Copenhagen tonight, even if Copenhagen were to pull off a shock win, it’s difficult to see them overhauling a two goal lead, especially when you look at their recent European away form, played six, lost five. This is the perfect tie for Chelsea, a team who were in absolute disarray at the start of 2011, they’re expected to progress to the quarter finals tonight, this will take them one step closer to becoming the first London club ever to win the Champions League.
Key Men:
Chelsea: Nicolas Anelka
FC Copenhagen: Jesper Gronkjaer
My Prediction: Chelsea 3 FC Copenhagen 0
0 comments:
Post a Comment