How Chelsea can qualify for the last 16 in the Champions league?
The Blues made it two wins out of two by defeated Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Champions League, a brilliant performance yet again by Willian was at the centre of the victory and even a little spat between Diego Costa and Jose Mourinho was not enough to dampen the spirits of the Premier League Champions.
Chelsea, thanks to this win at least are on top of their group and with just one more match to go, that too at home, they could be thinking of who they could face in the knockout round of the competition. But if we were Chelsea fans, we wouldn’t be so sure of their progression into the next round of the competition. After all Chelsea have flattered to deceive this season and a couple of wins against Premier League newcomers Norwich City and Maccabi Tel Aviv, the weakest team in their Champions League Group, shouldn’t give them the feeling that they are back to their best.
Slippery ground awaits the Blues
The last game for Chelsea would be against FC Porto at home, the Portuguese side did get the better of the English club in the reverse fixture and they would need a win at least to qualify for the next stage of the competition. FC Porto sit just behind Chelsea, level on points and would need a win to guarantee progression, but Chelsea need just a draw against their opponents to make it through to the next round.
The problem lies with the third-placed team in the group that is Dynamo Kiev, the Ukrainian side drew 2-2 against FC Porto and they know a win against Maccabi Tel Aviv at home on the final match day would be enough to see them through if Chelsea draws against Porto.
Kiev would then be tied with the Portuguese team but having defeated them at home and then drawn against them, they would go through on the head-to-head rule. That would be playing on the mind of the FC Porto team and they would be coming with all guns blazing to take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
While this would have been a bankable three points for the Blues, their performances this season haven’t been the best. They have not played like Champions and even a one goal lead is not a guaranteed win for them at home, such was the case against Swansea, Liverpool and Crystal Palace to name a few.
Chelsea look a little fragile in defence and bereft of options in attack, this could be the best chance for Porto to bag another big scalp, this time of their former boss Mourinho and really drive in the misery. Chelsea would have been favourites to complete the task had it been any other season but this season it is a whole lot different for the Blues.
The Blues have only managed to scored three goals against Kiev and FC Porto this season and have only scored 17 goals in the Premier League this season. FC Porto on the other hand, aren’t doing all that badly and drawing at home against Kiev would be smarting the club a lot more, Chelsea should be careful of whom they face in their next match. Not taking them seriously could well have damaging consequences for the Portuguese manager at the helm of the club.