Why Tuchel should continue with Kante- Kovacic partnership in midfield for Chelsea.
Chelsea host Tottenham tonight at the Bridge, and it will be the first leg of the Carabao Cup semifinal. Jorginho did not start for Chelsea against Liverpool on Sunday, and there is a reason why the Italian should not start against Tottenham today.
The Blues played a 2-2 draw against Liverpool on Sunday and many pundits were surprised by the tempo at which they played and sustained the match. The Blues were able to match what Liverpool offered in midfield and even on the flanks. The Energy level also influenced the attackers, although they were not as prolific as Salah and Sadio Mane.
READ ALSO AMBITIOUS VLAHOVIC WON`T SIGN FOR ARSENAL
It is the first leg of the Semi-Final and Antonio Conte will try to frustrate Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Tuchel and Chelsea are known for controlling the game and having a lot of possession during matches. However, Chelsea gave that up with the omission of Jorginho against Liverpool.
Tactical Midfield Switch?
Chelsea bypassed the midfield when they attacked against Liverpool. The Blues relied on long balls, especially in the first half.
Chelsea played many long balls so they could be more direct against a team like Liverpool and it worked. That is what they need to repeat today against Tottenham.
Having Jorginho in the middle of the park often slows down the pace of Chelsea’s build-up.
Using Jorginho will mean that there will be too many passes around the midfield area instead of just being direct like what Kovacic and N’golo Kante did against Liverpool.
Conte`s Style
Antonio Conte will likely want Tottenham to sit deep and absorb pressure from Tuchel`s men
He’ll also want to hit Chelsea on counter-attacks. Having pacey players like Lucas Moura and Heung Min Son or even Bryan Gil will help achieve that.
How Chelsea can limit this is to reduce the chances of Tottenham getting counterattacks which means they have to press heavily whenever they lose the ball ( which could also mean Lukaku might not start tonight) or just use the midfield pairing he used against Liverpool.
