Post Match Analysis
Despite throwing away a two-goal lead at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea's night did not consist entirely of concerns, as the Blues performance showed real signs of attacking flair and threat.
Oscar's one-minute wonder brace looked set to have secured not only a dream Champions League debut, but also a victory for Chelsea, however Juventus had other ideas, and with the help of some poor defending and slacking off by the Blues, they seemed to have been granted the comeback.
The First-half started with Chelsea on the upper hand, receiving five corners within the first 25 minutes of play, and both Frank Lampard and David Luiz having efforts on target. Chelsea kept possession of the ball well, and both sides looked fairly comfortable on the ball. Due to the Old Lady's 3-5-2 formation and the lack of back-tracking done by Asamoah and Giovinco, the likes of Oscar and Hazard capitalized and broke with pace down the wings. However, what was missing for Chelsea was the final pass, many a time Hazard, Ramires and Torres misplaced a pass in the final third that could have proven to be crucial. Chelsea eventually lead after 30 minutes through a deflected Oscar attempt at goal, and around 60 seconds afterwards, Oscar again received a pass with his back to goal, turned Pirlo with his first touch and with his second he unleashed an ambitious curling effort at goal, which fell directly into the top corner to make it 2-0 to Chelsea. Five minutes after, Juventus pressured for a goal and eventually Vidal struck when the Blues were at their most vulnerable, and Juventus went into Half-time with a chance.
Play resumed in the Second-half very much as it did in the first, Chelsea maintaining possession of the ball well, with Juventus having their spells as well. Again the problem for Chelsea was the final third; in Torres they lacked presence and contribution to the game and he was being outshone by Juventus' centre-backs, in particular Giorgio Chiellini. When Torres did find himself on the ball however, it was regularly in poor positions, and he wasn't saying central like a lone striker should. Chelsea maintained their hold on the game up until about 60 minutes in, when Eden Hazard was brought down by Barzagli in the area and the referee wrongly waved play-on. This was a turning point in the game, as from here on the defending champions seemed to lose their heads and granted Juventus much time on the ball and many opportunities, every one of which they seemed likelier and likelier to score. The centre of the park seemed to pose the biggest threat to Chelsea, nobody was picking up Marchisio and he was gifted space and time on the ball. The same said for Arturo Vidal, arguably man of the match, he was granted space and composed the Juventus team (almost Pirlo-esque), from the heart. Eventually, in the 80th minute, Juventus' sub Quagliarella was released through on goal due to a poor mistake my John Obi Mikel and an even poorer recovery, and slotted the ball calmly through Petr Cech's legs to equalize. Ten minutes later the referee blew the whistle, and both sides were unsuccessful in looking for a winner.
Overall, I feel that as a unit and a team in progression, Chelsea played some good football, had the upper hand in possession (54% - 46%), and completed 77 more passes than the Italian giants. Oscar had a brilliant game, and his second goal was a real gem, my man of the match award goes to him. Frank Lampard helped keep the solidity of our attacks, and as always Eden Hazard proved the opposition a handful. Although we showed good signs in this game, there were also some bad ones, in particular the sloppiness shown by John Obi-Mikel conceding the second goal. Fernando Torres' lack of participation and his consistency to wonder off to the flanks is a cause of concern, and what with Daniel Sturridge out with a hamstring injury, we only have him to rely on. I also feel that Branislav Ivanovic's recent performances have not been up to scratch, he gives the ball away too easily, and he is prone to error. What with Cesar Azpilicueta signing in the summer, he may be given the nod to show what he has to offer.
Hopefully as a squad in transition and progression, we can move onwards from this match, take the positives and improve on the negatives, and ensure that we get ourselves out for this Champions League group! KTBFFH.
L. Urso-Baiarda
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