Champions League preview: Chelsea v Spartak Moscow
Life seems pretty sweet for Carlo Ancelotti and Chelsea right now.
Top of the Premier League with a five point cushion, and top of Champions League Group F as well, a win over Spartak Moscow tonight puts the Blues into the last 16 of European football’s premier competition for the eighth season in a row, so they must already be thinking ahead right? Perhaps to a glorious Champions League final at Wembley in May?
“I like to go step-by-step,” said defender Branislav Ivanović, fresh from his winning goal at Blackburn on Saturday. “Now if you think about the final you will never get to the final, you have to go step-by-step.
“Everyone in this club is thinking only of Chelsea and to give to this club success so we can try and win trophies. We have a good enough squad to win this but we have to show this on the pitch and not just say it.”
A fan of doing his talking on the pitch, Serbian international Ivanović used to play in Moscow with Lokomotiv, and so after enjoying a successful return to the Russian capital in Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Spartak two weeks ago, he’s determined to see off the visitors to Stamford Bridge this time around too. Typically though, he’s not making any bold statements, and acknowledges that teamwork will be the decisive factor behind any victory.
“We play defensively as a team and we use 11 players to defend,” he said. “Our midfield players and our strikers help us with set-pieces as well.
“It is not just the back four, our goalkeeper is strong and we try not to concede a goal for as long as possible because you get confidence with this and you can play a game after that more easily.
“The football in England is very strong; you have to be ready for that, you have to be ready for every tackle, every game and I try to be ready for that. It is difficult of course because sometimes we play every three days but it is important the team works.”
They’ll be working to beat Spartak Moscow tonight, whose home loss to the Blues a fortnight ago represents the only points dropped during their group stage campaign.
Forwards Welliton and Ari caused the Blues defence a few problems in the Luzhniki Stadium, but the latter will be absent here through injury, however there is good news for the Russians with the possible return of Spartak’s captain Alex, who could be fit enough to face his namesake and fellow Brazilian in the Chelsea defence. Despite that, they are massive underdogs, and they know it.
“Chelsea are expected to win every game they play, so for us it doesn't make a difference," said Spartak’s Republic of Ireland winger Aiden McGeady. “You want to win every game, but if not then a draw would be great.”
A draw would be great for them, but they’ll need to improve on their showing in Moscow to achieve it, where a spectacular strike from Russian international Yuri Zhirkov set Chelsea on their way. Spartak's billionaire owner Leonid Fedun didn’t think much of the goal though, saying: “Zhirkov shoots like this once every five years. Unfortunately, it happened in our match.” Don’t anger them, Leonid.
Zhirkov will be especially gunning for goal then, but he won’t be lining up alongside either Florent Malouda or the still injured Frank Lampard, although both are expected to be fit for Sunday’s trip to Anfield to face Liverpool.
That contest surely takes priority over this for Chelsea, but that doesn’t mean that Ancelotti will be taking it easy – far from it in fact. Win, and they can pretty much forget about the Champions League until the New Year.
That’s exactly what they’ll do.
Prediction: Chelsea 3 Spartak Moscow 0
Tags: