Chelsea Can Still Beat Spurs Even Without Matic – Ivanovic

Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic knows from personal experience how agonising it will be for teammate Nemanja Matic to have to watch the team in a major Cup final, knowing that he would have been playing but for the red card he received in the match against Burnley. Chelsea are odds on to win their first trophy of the season by beat Spurs on Sunday. Putters can learn more about capital one cup betting tips on this website .

Following a studs up challenge from the Clarets Ashley Barnes, the Chelsea player retaliated pushing Barnes to the ground before other players intertwined, and while nothing was given for the dangerous tackle, referee Martin Atkinson gave Matic his marching orders for retaliating.

Fellow Serbian Branislav Ivanovic knows how it feels not to be playing in an important match after he had to sit out the Blues Champions League win in 2012 while being suspended, just as Matic is for this weekend’s Capital One Cup clash with Tottenham at Wembley.

Matic has been a rock for Chelsea this season playing behind Cesc Fabregas and to be without him in the final will be a big blow to the club, and as if that new was not bad enough the man Jose Mourinho would normally call on to take his place, Nigerian international John Obi Mikel is out with a knee injury.

What this means for Mourinho is that he will have two inexperienced players on the bench in the form of Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Nathan Ake.

However if there was ever a club that could overcome the odds for the big occasion it is Chelsea.

For the Champions League final against Bayern Munich Chelsea was missing four key players, while just a few weeks earlier they won the FA Cup against Liverpool without David Luiz and Gary Cahill in the team.

It is these facts that remind Ivanovic that Chelsea can still win games even if some of their stars are unavailable, telling the Evening Standard newspaper:“We won our most recent finals in 2012 and 2013 without key players. It says a lot about the squad and how we can cope with any situation.

“In a final, even if you have 10 injured or suspended players, it is what you live for. If the Under-21 players have to be given a chance (because of absence of Mikel and Matic), I’m sure they will give their maximum.

“This is the mentality of Chelsea Football Club and why it’s special. It doesn’t matter if you’re ready or not, it’s a final. It’s a great moment, a great feeling and we are all looking forward to it.”

In their last match with Tottenham on New Year’s Day at White Hart Lane, Spurs ended up winning 5-3 in what was one of the most exciting games of the season, and while Spurs will be looking for a repeat all bets are off when it comes to a Wembley final.