Chelsea might have just wrapped up the quarter-finals with a resounding 3-1 victory over Russian side, Rubin Kazan. Torres opened the scorecard for Chelsea, with Victor Moses adding the second. Kazan were awarded a soft penalty which was successfully taken by Natkho. Torres then clinched his second goal by heading home.
Scorers :
Stats :
What We Learned :
1 . Rafa’s tactics are clicking.
2 . Torres can deliver at the end of this season.
3 . Luiz is going to get better and better .
4 . Ryan Bertrand has made a statement of intent.
1 . Rafa’s tactics are clicking –
Rafa’s approach to squad rotation and his basic tactics look to have been fully understood by the players. Considering that this is the side that lost 2-1 to Southampton, they have done well to come-back against a side that knocked out Athletico Madrid. Losses now cannot be blamed on Rafael Benitez, it was passion that was missing from the So’ton game. Benitez put out a side that should be capable to win any type of game, and the boys showed it with complete domination. Every player in the team worked hard and they reaped the benefits.
2 . Torres can deliver at the end of this season –
The Torres of old, might never come back. However he has scored in consecutive Europa games now. Even against Southampton, he was the only player showing any kind of passion. His work-rate against Kazan was off the charts. He ran after every ball and was willing to take a shot from any angle. This willingness even helped Victor Moses score as Torres’s initial shot was blocked. As the season comes to an end, Chelsea enter a crucial part which can make or break their season . Torres has to deliver in the Europa League with Ba being cup-tied. Considering that he is finding himself in the score-sheets, he could really hit the 20 goal mark this season.
3 . Luiz is going to get better and better
That pass from Luiz was world-class. Not what you would expect from a supposed center-back. It was inch perfect and found Torres right where he wanted. Even though he had to squirm the ball past the goalkeeper and into the net, without that defense splitting lob, nothing would have been possible. His concentration was immense, and was commanding in the air. Alongside JT, he denied Kazan any kind of space and got forward as many times as he could. The possibility of him being a CDM next season is very much open. With the set of skills he has now, he could flourish in that role.
4 . Ryan Bertrand’s making a statement of intent
Lets face it, none of us ever believed that Bertrand could be a possible replacement for Ashley Cole. He still isn’t but has two weeks to prove himself. He gave in a good performance against United after coming on for the English veteran and then gave in a terrific performance against Kazan. He got forward at will and showed a nice set of skills in doing so. His recovery was also good and with the wingers also helping out in defense, he had a stellar game. Ryan won’t get a lot of chances, and its moments like these where he has to make the most of what he has.
Other Points :
1 . Marko Marin will probably be off-loaded this summer.
2 . The away goal could still turn this around for Rubin Kazan.
Ervin is busy with some work and wasn’t able to write in for this game’s “What We Learned” . I was asked to fill in and hopefully did a decent enough job.
