UEFA Champions League Updates From Matchday 3
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE : 5 THINGS WE LEARNED FROM MATCHDAY 3
Published by Oculus News Network
October 06 , 2022 Thursday
LONDON — Chelsea kept their Champions League hopes alive with a dominant 3-0 win over AC Milan at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.
Wesley Fofana opened the scoring for Chelsea together with his first-1/2 intention inside the 24th minute, but became forced off injured simply 14 mins later. AC Milan had spells of ownership but it became Chelsea who took price of the fit in the 2nd half of with goals from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Reece James.
That allowed Graham Potter to empty the bench and enjoy his first Champions League victory in fee of Chelsea, but more importantly, it changed into their first win in the opposition this season and maintains them inside the blend for a gap within the knockout stages.
Rapid Reaction
- Chelsea brought in early take a look at of Potter generation
Potter did no longer get a lot of a threat for a settling in length at Chelsea. The 1-0 defeat to Dinamo Zagreb in their commencing Champions League in shape of the season, in what proved to be Thomas Tuchel’s final suit in rate of the club, put Chelsea on the backfoot. In Potter’s first healthy in price, they simplest controlled a 1-1 draw with FC Salzburg at Stamford Bridge which meant this night’s became a have to-win for Potter — lose and their Champions League hopes might be left hanging with the aid of a thread and reliant on other consequences.
But Potter’s Chelsea added. This changed into by using a ways their first-rate overall performance of the three in his tenure as they pressed and pulled AC Milan everywhere in the pitch. While the Serie A champions had a few first rate chances, Chelsea managed lots of the fit and you may see the crew developing increasingly more familiar as a group under Potter’s charge. It’s a philosophy based on overloads, and attacking at the proper moments at blistering tempo. This group are appropriate neatly to that with the likes of James, Sterling and Aubameyang all fantastic.
The significant midfielders in Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Mateo Kovacic played properly in a pair, switching up who heads ahead and who holds returned. And then there was the veteran Thiago Silva at the again who turned into surprising. It changed into his trio of headers from successive set portions within the first half which prompted the eventual scramble to permit Fofana to score his first for the club and Chelsea’s opener.
And importantly, Kepa Arrizabalaga kept a easy sheet within the Chelsea purpose. With Edouard Mendy healthy once more having missed Potter’s first fits, it become going to be fascinating to see who started and it turned into Kepa, who changed into so regularly 2nd-preference under Tuchel. Whenever Kepa become known as upon, he did what became wanted.
- Sterling, Aubameyang shine on the front line no matter Mount frustration
Chelsea’s the front three clicked against AC Milan. Though Mason Mount is but to attain this season, you can not believe Potter is going to exchange matters up a lot after seeing his the front three gel like they did on Wednesday night.
Aubameyang put in his nice overall performance yet in a Chelsea shirt on his 1/3 look as his motion constantly pulled AC Milan’s defence out of role. He grabbed his 2d in as many suits with a neat end off the returned of James’ go inside the 2d 1/2.
Elsewhere, Sterling and James are operating brilliantly down Chelsea’s right facet with the 2 often overlapping each other. It was his assist which saw James finish optimistically from near range for Chelsea’s third. The medium-term photo on the other flank remains a touch ambiguous what with Marc Cucurella at the bench and Chelsea having a wealth of attacking skills, but Mount and Ben Chilwell dovetailed well against Milan.
One of Potter’s first essential duties might be to get Mount’s self belief returned up. Mount can be desperate to get off the mark this season for Chelsea however it is now not for want of attempting. He had a shot well-stored in the first 1/2 and some other effort — a neat chip — ruled out because of being offside.
Three. Leao proves why he is AC Milan key guy amid switch links
Chelsea made an enquiry about AC Milan’s attacker Rafael Leao within the summer time, and you can see why he’s one in every of Europe’s most sought-after abilties. He had moments of breath-taking ability, but he is some distance extra than just a field of hints. His movement makes him so hard to pick up — twice in the first-1/2 he glided through half of of southwest London into the Chelsea penalty place. The second dart past Reece James — no mean feat — resulted in Charles de Ketelaere having his shot parried through Kepa and offering Rade Krunic a first-rate danger, but he turned into unable to transform from 8 yards out with the net gaping at the stroke of half of time. He also had one captivating dart in the 2nd 1/2 to depart Thiago Silva in his wake but his tried bypass to Olivier Giroud changed into intercepted.
Of direction the sight of watching Leao dancing through a defence is nothing new to the followers of Serie A and AC Milan. He’s been notable for Pioli’s aspect. He become instrumental in their fee to the Scudetto closing term, and already has four goals and four assists in seven Serie A suits this season. But Leao’s capability changed into there for all to see and if the Premier League is to be an eventual destination for the 23-yr-antique Portugal forward, then this changed into a notable audition.