Matchday 5 (Group C) - Wednesday 22nd November, 2017

[Stan 10,393]

Qarabag v Chelsea, 17.00

Atletico Madrid vs Roma, 19.45

Roma win and they're through. 

Chelsea win and they're through. Atletico have to win and Chelsea to drop points to have any chance of qualifying. 

[Cicero 3,764]

Must win but need to keep Liverpool in mind. 

Morata----Pedro

Willian

Alonso-----------Luiz----Drinkwater----Zappacosta

Cahill----Christensen----Rudiger

Courtois

[carefreeluke 585]

Hurts me every time to see Willian in the starting eleven mate!

[True Blue 850]

9 hours ago, carefreeluke said:

Hurts me every time to see Willian in the starting eleven mate!

His worst season for us, but i overall not bad for a squad player.

[Cicero 3,764]

United linked with him again. Question is are we really going to give them another outcast? 

[Cicero 3,764]

Win tonight and we are through. Question is, do we want to finish 1st, and potentially get Real, Bayern, Juve, or finish 2nd and potentially get Barca, PSG?

Will absolutely piss myself if Atletico and Napoli get kicked into the Europa League. Arsenal can never catch a break. 

[True Blue 850]

3 minutes ago, Cicero said:

Win tonight and we are through. Question is, do we want to finish 1st, and potentially get Real, Bayern, Juve, or finish 2nd and potentially get Barca, PSG?

Will absolutely piss myself if Atletico and Napoli get kicked into the Europa League. Arsenal can never catch a break. 

Napoli still has a chance if things go their way to qualify for the knock out stages, but Atletico is out if they fail to get three points.

[Cicero 3,764]

1 minute ago, True Blue said:

Napoli still has a chance if things go their way to qualify for the knock out stages, but Atletico is out if they fail to get three points.

With most English clubs finishing 1st, we might be better off finishing 2nd by the look of things 

[True Blue 850]

Just now, Cicero said:

With most English clubs finishing 1st, we might be better off finishing 2nd by the look of things 

As things stands in other groups it is almost the same if you finish 1st or 2nd considering how many good teams are second. However i also think Conte won't calculate and will go for a win in every game.

[Cicero 3,764]

Just now, True Blue said:

As things stands in other groups it is almost the same if you finish 1st or 2nd considering how many good teams are second. However i also think Conte won't calculate and will go for a win in every game.

We can't draw an English club, and with United, City, Spurs, and potentially Liverpool all finishing 1st, it reduces the amount of drawing a top club if we finish 2nd. Whereas if we finish 1st, we have Juve, Real, and Bayern waiting...

[Cicero 3,764]

Courtois; Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Rudiger; Zappacosta, Fabregas, Kante, Alonso; Willian, Pedro, Hazard

Back to a 3-4-3 and Kante+Cesc partnership. Hoping for the best. COYB let's finish this tonight. 

[Stan 10,393]

18 minutes ago, Cicero said:

Courtois; Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Rudiger; Zappacosta, Fabregas, Kante, Alonso; Willian, Pedro, Hazard

Back to a 3-4-3 and Kante+Cesc partnership. Hoping for the best. COYB let's finish this tonight. 

can't underestimate Qarabag at home. I know it was only Atletico who have been poor all season but they made it very tough to be broken down.

[Cicero 3,764]

5 minutes ago, Stan said:

can't underestimate Qarabag at home. I know it was only Atletico who have been poor all season but they made it very tough to be broken down.

Probably don't want to make the same mistake as with Atletico-City. With this one being a less of a risk. 

Our players were absolutely knackered against City, and losing Morata early on basically had us throwing in the towel. 

[Stan 10,393]

Qarabag hit the bar!

[Cicero 3,764]

Pitch is massive 

[Stan 10,393]

Penalty to Chelsea and red card for Sadigov, their main centre-back and most experienced player. Good decision on replay. Pulled Willian down. No choice for the ref. 

[Cicero 3,764]

0-2 up currently. Great play for the second. 

[Cicero 3,764]

0-2 at the Half. Qarabag with only 10 men. 

Safe to say we can make some rotations. I'd put in Drinkwater for Cesc and Morata for Hazard at the start of the second. 

[Stan 10,393]

2 minutes ago, Cicero said:

0-2 at the Half. Qarabag with only 10 men. 

Safe to say we can make some rotations. I'd put in Drinkwater for Cesc and Morata for Hazard at the start of the second. 

why risk Morata? 

Is Batshuayi on the bench? Might as well bring him on. 

[Cicero 3,764]

2 minutes ago, Stan said:

why risk Morata? 

Is Batshuayi on the bench? Might as well bring him on. 

Batshuayi is injured, and it be good for Morata to get some minutes ahead of Liverpool. Keep him on his toes. 

I'd put Morata for Hazard, Drinkwater for Cesc, and Christensen for Kante, and push Luiz in midfield. 

[Stan 10,393]

Another penalty for Chelsea after another foul on Willian! This one looked a bit softer. 

[Cicero 3,764]

Cesc needed to do a re-take (even though ive seen Neymar do that all the time), but makes it 0-3 on his second. 

We can breath a lot easier now against Atletico as we've already qualified. 

[Cicero 3,764]

Willian makes it 0-4

[Stan 10,393]

11 minutes ago, Cicero said:

Cesc needed to do a re-take (even though ive seen Neymar do that all the time), but makes it 0-3 on his second. 

We can breath a lot easier now against Atletico as we've already qualified. 

The re-take was for encroachment not the run-up. 

[Steve Bruce Almighty 2,857]

Good win for Chelsea in the Asian Champions League 

[True Blue 850]

The first penalty and red looked very harsh, but after a different angle it was clear he was holding Willian and he was also the last man in the defense. The second penalty was to be honest soft as shit. Willian played a very good game scoring a brace and overall the best player on the pitch. We got a chance to rest some players for saturday and secured a top two finish. 

[Cicero 3,764]

Last man isn't a rule. tt's whether or not it was an obvious goal scoring opportunity. 

[The Liquidator 213]

What a player that William is!!!  

 

 

 

[Cicero 3,764]

Only a player of true quality can shine against a 10 man Qarabag

[The Liquidator 213]

7 minutes ago, Cicero said:

Only a player of true quality can shine against a 10 man Qarabag

Probably why our no 27 didnt start, eh?