The ManicaPost
Chelsea surrendered their Champions League advantage against Barcelona on Tuesday night, but this game was a reminder of what Antonio Conte (pictured right) can do. Conte is under pressure at Chelsea, almost certainly on his way out in the summer and was widely chastised for picking a side without a striker in the build-up to this first leg.
But the Italian’s tactics worked – aside from an unpredictable defensive mistake that allowed Lionel Messi to grab the equaliser.
Willian proved to be the star of the show on the night, scoring Chelsea’s opener, while Eden Hazard and Pedro also proved hard-working threats to Barcelona.
Match this performance in the Nou Camp, blocking out Barca’s principle threats and offering plenty on the counter-attack, and Chelsea might have a chance of progress.
Chelsea’s choice of playing without Alvaro Morata or Olivier Giroud left Hazard, Willian and Pedro to run the forward line with the former marked up as the most central man.
But Conte’s striker-less side rarely bothered attacking the heart of Barcelona’s defence and instead went for the weak areas of their full backs before moving into the middle.
Chelsea played in a 3-5-2 set-up that night, with Morata and Hazard up top together. Conte has suggested that is not an option against Barcelona.
“Playing Alvaro Morata from the start, with him and Eden Hazard, without Willian or Pedro, would’ve lost our balance,” the Italian said. “It would’ve been suicidal.”
Chelsea are happy to let Barcelona take control of the central areas – that will even be the case if a striker plays in the second leg.
By attacking the space Jordi Alba and Sergi Roberto have vacated in attack, they created more opportunities to hurt Barcelona.
Should Conte decide to field a striker in the Nou Camp, one of Willian or Pedro faces the chop. But both players were key on Tuesday night.
Willian scored and hit the post twice, but was equally as important in stretching Barcelona out wide on the right and making use of the space that Andres Iniesta allowed him to take up.
Pedro played deeper, providing an extra body in midfield when needed and working as a link man for Hazard’s flicks off the front line. – Daily Mail
