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Portal [link="http://www.eurofootball.com"]"EuroFootball.com"[/link] continues yesterday's section "Fans' Thoughts"! From now on, before the most important, interesting, and highly anticipated matches, we will speak to fans who are passionate about the teams entering the duel.
Before the UEFA Champions League clash between London's "Chelsea" and Moscow's "Spartak," two forum members - a die-hard "Blues" fan Samir and a fan who knows the Russian team like the back of his hand, Stinger - agreed to share their thoughts on the upcoming match.
"EuroFootball.com": Match scenarios
Samir: Accumulating 9 points and firmly leading the group gives a lot of freedom in tactical choices. Although the main goal when looking at the tournament table seems to be not losing and avoiding unnecessary problems in the last couple of rounds, I don't think "Chelsea" will play a closed, defensive game. The match is at home, and defeating "Spartak," with all due respect to the Muscovites, would practically guarantee the first place in the group for Chelsea.
Stinger: There are several possible scenarios for the match. Of course, "Chelsea" is the favorite, so the most important thing for the Spartak players will be to defend and counterattack when the opportunity arises. However, if Spartak were to score first, everything would change. Whether the match will be similar to the previous ones in Moscow - I personally hope so because the game was good, there were many attacks, only the result, unfortunately, was negative. However, I would be very happy if the match ended in a draw. I think all Spartak fans would agree on that.
"EuroFootball.com": Weaknesses
Samir: Last season, the answer to this question seemed obvious - the weak link in the team was John Obi Mikel. However, during the summer, the Nigerian improved and started impressing more often with solid play, less ball losses, and sometimes even manages to take the ball away from opponents. Calling someone else a weak spot in the starting lineup of Chelsea is not appropriate, and the lack of depth on the bench is a problem that is unlikely to have a significant impact on today's match.
Stinger: I would consider fatigue as the weak link because this is already the third match played within a week. If the match against "Rostov" could be called slightly easier (although the result was "exhausting" only at the end of the game), the match against "Zenit" was very tough, today's game against the "Blues" will also be a tough one, and on Monday there is a trip to Kazan to face "Rubin." Since the Russian championship is coming to an end and there are still hopes of securing the third or even second place, it will be necessary to fight on two fronts, and there are no equivalent players who can replace the leaders.
"EuroFootball.com": Losses
Samir: Losing Lampard and Benayoun left Chelsea without a clearly expressed attacking midfielder, who could not only create the game but also find himself in the attack at the right time. Interestingly, Frank's absence is compensated by... the excellent form of Ashley Cole. He alone can cover the entire left flank, allowing Malouda to often leave his position during the match and occupy the areas where Lampard usually hunts for goals. Not surprisingly, the Frenchman is currently among the top scorers in the English Premier League.
However, Malouda will not appear on the field today, so in the attack, we will likely see Sturridge or Kalou. Jose Bosingwa, who is recovering from an injury, will not play either.
Stinger: In the ranks of Spartak, there are losses - Ari and Strandberg will not play, it is unclear if Alex, who missed several recent matches due to injury, will appear on the field. It is unknown how this will affect the team's performance because the results speak for themselves - in the last eight Russian Premier League matches, the team has collected 20 points, has not lost since the end of August, and significantly improved its position in the fight for a place in next year's European tournaments. After the victory against previously unbeaten Zenit, the team's confidence in their own abilities has increased even further.
"EuroFootball.com": Words of praise for opponents
Samir: I like Aiden McGeady, but that's from his time at Celtic (smiles). I know almost nothing about Spartak's current game, so it's hard to answer this question. Well, the stadium is located in a beautiful place.
Stinger: In the Chelsea team, I especially like the solid defensive line, which concedes very few goals. Just the dry statistics showing that the "Blues" scored 16 goals and didn't concede a single one in their five Premier League home matches, and only three times pulled the ball out of their net in 10 league games this season, show how difficult it will be for the Muscovites to break through the home team's defense.
"EuroFootball.com": The remaining two group stage matches
Samir: If Chelsea wins against Spartak, the last two group stage matches would be a great opportunity to give rest to the team leaders and give more playing time to young players like Bruma, Van Aanholt, McEachran, Kakuta, and Sturridge. Even if putting them all on the field doesn't bring joy to everyone, it would be a beneficial experience for promising footballers.
Stinger: The possible scenarios for the remaining two group stage matches depend on today's results as well. Let's say that both today's favorites - Chelsea and Marseille - win, then the next group match at home against the French could be crucial in the fight for a spot in the knockout stages. If they manage to bring at least a point from London or if Marseille stumbles in Slovakia, then for Spartak players, a draw at home with the French in the next round could be enough, and in the last match against "Zilina," which would mean nothing, it would be possible to let the young players shine. However, as of now, the math needs to be put aside and only think about the upcoming matches in London and how to perform successfully in them.
"EuroFootball.com": Thank you!
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