Kanté’s absence, fatigue… five reasons Chelsea lost to Bayern

February 26, 2020 2:32 pm

Chelsea were put to the sword on Tuesday night by Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 fixture — in a clash that was visibly one-sided.

Frank Lampard’s team went into the game with a lot of confidence and enthusiasm but they were short of quality as the game went on and the away side gradually broke them down. The match would end 3-0 in favour of the Bavarians at Stamford Bridge.

Here are five things we learnt from the Champions League knockout clash.

Chelsea need a top striker

Olivier Giroud may have been working his socks off upfront, but he struggled against the pair of David Alaba and Jerome Boateng. Lampard now has a big call to make — ahead to the next game — on whether to keep him in the team. He also needs a fit Tammy Abraham on ground.

Where was the menace?

Whether Lampard opts to try and bring Abraham to the starting XI remains to be seen. However, the prolific goalscorer coming in could take some of the pressure away from midfield if none of the second string at the club steps up and takes their chance.

The Blues gave the ball away

The team seemed to have approached such an important game with a negative mindset. Chelsea sat too deep and often lost possession to the Bavarians. That’s not the Blues way of playing.

They missed Kante

Against Spurs, the Blues were at their best. There were aggressive and on the front foot, looking to get at the opposition. That menace is intimidating but it wasn’t evident which allowed Bayern to settle into the game. The influence of Kante was clearly missed.

Kante’s energy in the midfield could have helped Chelsea in terms of closing down Bayern’s players, as well as offering some width and pace down the channel, which would have eased congestion through the middle of the team.

Fatigue

Chelsea produced a great result against Spurs. They were decent to a very high — both physically and mentally — and it appeared to have taken a lot out of the players. How they react going into the next match is important.