UEFA Champions League – Match Preview: Chelsea F.C versus Olympique Marseille
Chelsea look to make it two wins in a row in the UEFA Champions’ League group stages as they host Marseille at the Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, 28th September, 2010. Both the teams are scheduled to take on one another in
what will be the second group stage match for both of them. Chelsea have had a brilliant start to their club football season. They have been scoring almost at will. The blues will face a tough test however once they face the French giants who are quite capable
of ringing a surprise at Chelsea’s home ground.
Despite the fact that Chelsea have been in flying form in the English Premier League, they lost their last two competitive matches. The first one was against Newcastle United in the Carling Cup third round, a match that Carlo Ancelloti’s
team lost by a score line of four goals to three. Chelsea were playing a few of their first team members such as John Terry, Alex, Ferreira and Anelka alongside Ramirez in midfield but Newcastle overpowered the English league champions to seal their place
in the fourth round of the Carling Cup.
Following the knockout from the Carling Cup, Chelsea travelled to Manchester to face, Manchester City at the City of Manchester Stadium. With Frank Lampard missing through injury, Chelsea failed to even score a single goal in the
encounter as Manchester City got their winner through Carlos Tevez. At the final whistle, City emerged as rightful winners and all the three points from the crucial English Premier League matchup. It was a strong blow to Chelsea’s chances of retaining their
English Premier League season but as these are still early days in the English league season, the Blues can afford such slip ups in limited quantity.
As Chelsea take on Marseille, they will be without Ramirez, Kalou and Kakuta as well as their inspirational midfielder Frank Lampard, thus these notable absentees give Marseille a very good chance of actually nicking a result at the
Stamford Bridge, which has been like a fortress in the past four to five seasons in the UEFA Champions League. In last season’s UEFA Champions League, Chelsea were knocked out of the tournament at the round of sixteen stage by the eventual winners, Inter Milan.
This season, Carlo Ancelloti looks to become the first man in the history of football to win the European Cup with Chelsea and in doing so bring the UEFA Champions League trophy to London. It should be noted that none of the London
based football clubs such as Arsenal, Chelsea, Fulham and West Ham, have ever won the UEFA Champions League trophy. Marseille on the other hand did win the European Cup (which is now known as the UEFA Champions League) in the 1992-1993 season, the French giants
also ended up as runners up in the 1990-1991 version of the competition to Red Star Belgrade from Yugoslavia.
Marseille won their last Ligue 1 match against F.C Sochaux Montbeliard at the weekend by a score line of two goals to one. Last season, Marseille won the Ligue 1 by fending off competition from the likes of Bordeaux and Lyon, however
this season they have played a total of seven matches thus far out of which they have won three, drawn two and lost two already. Currently, they occupy the sixth placed spot in the Ligue 1 table, something that will be a source of anxiety of their fans.
Clearly, the French champions have not had a consistent start to their season but their firepower should not be expected. Chelsea will be wobbling after their defeat to Manchester City therefore; there won’t be a better time for Marseille
to take on the English champions. Given Chelsea’s well documented injury problems, Marseille can be expected to at least come away with a draw from the Stamford Bridge.
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