Chelsea Vs Bayern Munich: 3 players from both sides to change the game on their own as the Blues face the German giants on Tuesday.
Chelsea will host Bayern Munich in the round of 16 clash of the Champions League on Tuesday night. This is for the first time when both sides will face each other since the dramatic 2012 final in the Allianz Arena.
Bayern Munich has been phenomenal in this edition of the Champions League, winning all 6 games, including the 7-2 drubbing of Tottenham Hotspur in the group stage round.
On the other hand, Chelsea just managed to cross the group stage round and was on the verge of getting an elimination, but managed to qualify for this round.
Coming to the league campaigns of both clubs, Chelsea is at the 4th place and getting decent results to cement its spot. Whereas, Bayern Munich is leading the Bundesliga table but is in a close contest with RB Leipzig and Borussia Monchengladbach.
Both teams have transformed dramatically since they last met in 2012. Bayern Munich has gone onto dominate Bundesliga for 8 consecutive years, whereas Chelsea had their own highs and lows but still managed to be a fierce side in the English football.
With this, let’s look at the three players from the tie, who can change the game on their own, as the Blues host the Bavarians at the Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.
1. Robert Lewandowski
Definitely the best player in the tie and is currently in the best form of his life. The Polish striker has already amassed 38 goals and 3 assists in the 32 games he has played this season.
Chelsea’s defensive setup has been inconsistent this season, amidst injuries and experiments, and Lewandowski can take advantage of it. The 31-year-old striker is the sixth-highest scorer of all-time in the tournament and highest scorer in the current edition.
Thus, Chelsea will have to be extra cautious while dealing with him, as he can run riots on his day. Although, with Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen back in the side, Chelsea may stop Lewandowski.
But whether Frank Lampard’s 3-man defence setup used lately, will work against the firepower of Bayern Munich or not, the question will be answered on Tuesday night.
2. Tammy Abraham
The English striker struggled with an ankle injury recently but returned to the side in the last game-week after a brief rest. He is expected to lead Chelsea’s attack in the Champions League game.
And we are looking forward to his yet another sublime performance against Bayern Munich. In the 33 games played across all competitions, he has bagged 15 goals and 6 assists, a great tally for the 22-year-old star.
Abraham has been able to keep Oliver Giroud and Mich Batshuayi below him in the pecking order, and in his absence, Chelsea did struggle, especially against Manchester United.
Abraham has also been impressive in his debut season in the Champions League. So, Lampard might once again depute him as his target man in the knockout clash.
3. Serge Gnabry
Serge Gnabry found his true-self in Bundesliga and now the player has been at the peak of his potential with Bayern Munich, moreover, he is also having a great campaign in the Champions League where he scored a splendid hattrick against Tottenham Hotspur in the last round.
Apart from that, he has been consistently good this season, as he has bagged 15 goals and 10 assists in the 29 games he has played so far in this season.
Thus, we think that Gnabry will be the difference between both sides, and the Blues will certainly have to work and analyze how to neutralize him tactically, ahead of the game on Tuesday.
