Contrary to popular expectation, Enzo Maresca opted for a well-rotated lineup, especially in attack, with plenty of fresh faces and lesser-spotted options throughout. It wasn’t quite a “B-lineup” as in the league phase, but that was perhaps due to letting many of those B-teamers leave on loan in the winter.
Perhaps not contrary to popular expectation, and regardless of Chelsea’s lineup, Copenhagen made no effort to actually play football, sitting with all eleven players behind the ball as soon as the game kicked off.
Unfortunately, this posed a great challenge to the Blues, and we proved utterly incapable of making any headway against it in the first half. Two shots, both off target, is all we had to show for 75-80% possession.
Maresca rang the changes at half time, and those paid almost immediate dividends as a long-range effort from Reece James beat the goalkeeper despite not being hit with tremendous power.
A bit more luck was to follow when our advantage was almost canceled out right away … but Viktor Claesson’s tight-angle shot hit the inside of the post and bounced straight back out into Robert Sánchez’s hands.
Copenhagen kept trying for an equalizer, pressing high and ratcheting up their effort levels, but we dealt with all that fairly comfortably — though our threat levels didn’t exactly increase despite the home side being much more open. We seemed content enough to play it safe … and were rewarded for that by a poor turnover from Copenhagen deep in their own defensive third, which led to George setting up Enzo excellently for a well-taken goal.
And that should’ve been that, but we seem absolutely incapable of keeping clean sheets, and a missed marking assignment or three on a free kick gave Copenhagen a free header to make it a rather nervy finish in the last ten minutes and stoppage time.
In the end, we got the first leg job done-ish. Tie far from over of course.
Carefree.
- Eight changes from the Southampton game eight days ago, including a full debut for 17-year-old Shim Mheuka at striker, with Palmer, Caicedo, and Sánchez all making their first starts of the competition, and Badiashile returning from a fairly lengthy injury layoff as well
- Triple change at the half, with George trying his luck at center forward as a result
- 5th goal of the season for Enzo, 2nd for James
- Seven wins in a row in this competition, a new club record in European competitions
- Molde beat Legia Warsaw, 3-2 in their first leg: the winners of that matchup will face the winners of this one in the quarterfinals
- Referee going all Oprah with his yellow cards in the final five minutes after barely calling fouls all game: you get a card and you get a card, everyone gets a card!
- Next up: Leicester City at home on Sunday, then the second leg against Copenhagen next Thursday
- KTBFFH
