Match Preview: Valencia vs. Chelsea

Published on September 28, 2011 by David Cartlidge · 1 Comment

Valencia comes into the game reeling from their first defeat of the season at the weekend, when they went down to Sevilla in the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuain. Although they looked strong at the back, and in control for the majority of the game, they couldn’t find a cutting edge and had few real opportunities in front of goal – this while having a two man advantage for a short period of time. The previous result in the Champions League wasn’t much better either, as Valencia suffered again creatively against a tough Belgian defence despite dominating the game in terms of possession. The task gets no easier here as Chelsea are visitors with a former hero in tow, though little time will be set aside for sentiment as Unai Emery looks to get an important 3 points.

David Albelda and Mehmet Topal both returned to light training this week, but Heidweges Maduro looks set to continue in defensive midfield. A doubt remains over Bruno following a knock he picked up, so Miguel could come in at right back.

Chelsea arrives at Mestalla with a not-so-secret weapon in Juan Mata. The attacking midfielder galvanised Valencia last season and led them to Champions League qualification, and as he was putting the ball into the net against Bayer Leverkusen for Chelsea you realised just how much Emery’s side miss his ingenuity. André Villas-Boas is settling into life well at the London club after some critics derided his start, and although they suffered a defeat to Manchester United it’s clear to see his methods are getting across.

On the injury front Chelsea are quite positive as Michael Essien and Daniel Sturridge are the only certain absentees, while the return of Didier Drogba at the weekend was a timely boost after a four week lay-off. Fernando Torres, despite being sent off, grabbed his second goal in as many games at the weekend and will provide some more Spanish interest.

Here is our guide to Chelsea:

CHELSEA

Manchester United manager labelled Chelsea “obsessed” with winning the Champions League and though those at the club will deny such a strong claim, there is no doubt there is a feeling at the club that winning Europe’s most coveted prize would cement their stats on the footballing map. To achieve that they have again reshuffled their pack within the coaching staff, while although elements of the Chelsea side we have known from recent years remain there is a new vibrancy shifting through the playing squad.

Summer Spending.

There’s only one place to start with Chelsea’s spending and that’s with Juan Mata. The attacking midfielder was the hot topic this summer for several Premiership teams before signing with Chelsea and not surprisingly given his talent he’s settled rather quickly. Last season for Valencia the Asturian came of age and guided the club to this Champions League berth, with his refined technique and intelligence prominent amongst new-found leadership skills. Also arriving from Spain was Oriol Romeu from Barcelona, while Romelu Lukaku arrived with a good deal of hype surrounding him – the Belgian teen won’t feature in the squad though. Raul Meireles was a last-minute signing from Liverpool, and he’ll be brought in to add further dimension to the midfield. David Luiz and Fernando Torres were brought in during the January transfer window, and although the former has settled the latter is struggling immensely. The arrival of Mata brings renewed hope that Torres could again find a clinical streak.

Tactical Approach

Defensively speaking Chelsea operate a high line, looking to destruct any potential threats further up the pitch while also reducing the level of action around the penalty area before any move builds up. Whoever the centre backs may be the ball will be ideally fed out neatly into midfield before advancing predominantly through wide areas. Chelsea’s wide players will look to cut in aggressively from their positions where they will attempt to use the full width of the pitch first. Juan Mata’s use in the system is key for Chelsea as he provides flexibility between the lines, opening up gaps that perhaps weren’t there before. His tandem offence with whomever the chosen striker may be in dropping off will need to be watched closely, as there starts the links in approach play.

Manager

André Villas-Boas has been installed as manager, as Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich saw fit to pay out €15m for the man who experienced fantastic success in Portugal first with Academica then Porto. His fluid, attacking, and attractive style at giants Porto eventually set Europe alight and he’s shown in cup competitions he knows how to approach games with assurance. At Chelsea he has a strong group to work with, and the signing of Mata in particular will help his side slip into the groove quicker than expected.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Chelsea main strengths are their experience in the tournament from players who have been with he club for some time such as John Terry and Frank Lampard. These players will form the solid spine of the team, and the new players such as Mata will now need to provide that extra something to take Chelsea to the next level. A huge positive is the influx of a young manager like Villas-Boas rejuvenating the team and giving them a renewed hunger after the club was in danger of going stale.

The weakness could be the time it takes for Chelsea to adapt to this new system. Frequent changes in coaching staff have brought with it different styles, and out the window went another when Carlo Ancelotti was removed from his managerial position. Previously the influx of new players wasn’t as heavy, whereas this time around it’s different with the first real freshening up of the squad and although it could have positive facets there is a view the project could be a long-term strategy rather than short.

Key man

Juan Mata. The ex-Valencia man brings something different to the Chelsea system, a flair and vibrancy that had not previously been seen since perhaps Joe Cole featured in the team under José Mourinho. Chelsea at times could be predictable, and with Mata now they have a unique quantity in their weaponry to unleash upon opponents.