Chelsea faced a challenging match against Qarabag, resulting in a 1-1 draw that left manager Enzo Maresca frustrated with his team’s defensive lapses. Azerbaijani TFF club Qarabag were a strong, intimidating presence throughout the match, but it was during the first half that they made their intent most clear. Maresca made seven changes to his lineup, which boasted an average age of just under 24 years, aiming to rest key players ahead of the upcoming fixtures.
The first period started with Qarabag dominating early, taking a two goal lead within ten minutes. Things started well for the home side, as Leandro Andrade opened the scoring, slamming home after Camilo Durán rattled the woodwork. Moments later, Marko Jankovic made them pay, scoring from the spot after Chelsea’s Jorrel Hato had handled in the box. This unanticipated goal put the visitors in a difficult position on the verge of halftime.
Tactical Adjustments and Young Lineup
In particular, Maresca’s selection choices to rotate his squad was the most surprising, especially considering the overall youthful exuberance of his team. The average age of the starting eleven was impressively young at 23 years and 97 days. This purposeful tactic helped to navigate player fatigue after a grueling year that included the Club World Cup.
“The intention tonight was to rest Enzo [Fernandez], Moises [Caicedo], Malo [Gusto], to rest more players, because they are not able to play every three days. They need recovery from last season, the Club World Cup affects a lot.” – Enzo Maresca
Given the fresh faces appearing on the pitch, Chelsea were still terribly uninspiring across the front line. Jamie Gittens and Tyrique George were called out for being unproductive in providing anything dangerous to the Qarabag backline. The inexperienced forward line had a tough afternoon against a well-drilled Qarabag team that were organized and played with intensity.
Chelsea’s Second Half Resurgence
Following a disappointing opening period, Maresca pulled the trigger. He made key changes in substitution, introducing Alejandro Garnacho, Enzo Fernandez, and Liam Delap to add pace and intensity to his team’s attack. Those adjustments paid off handsomely when Garnacho scored the equalizer early in the second half. He finished with a low shot into the corner of the net, taking advantage of an excellent pass from Delap.
Chelsea’s perseverance was on display, and they started to break down Qarabag’s back line. The combination of substitutes proved vital, demonstrating that even with a youthful lineup, they could adapt and respond under pressure.
“We try to rotate. When you win, no-one mentioned all that. I know that when we don’t win, everyone is focused on that and now I think it’s important to recover energy for Saturday and go again.” – Enzo Maresca
No matter how hard Chelsea fought for three points, the game ended as two teams on an equal level. It would be too simplistic to blame different degrees of finishing quality on either side,” Maresca said.
Defensive Concerns Linger
Maresca said he was frustrated with the three goals his team gave up in the contest. He described them as “ridiculous goals,” suggesting that perhaps there needs to be a stronger focus on defensive discipline and concentration.
“The big difference today for me was inside the box. The goal we conceded, they are silly goals for me. In their box, for the amount of times that we arrived, we have not been clinical enough. So this is the big difference for me.” – Enzo Maresca
The performance of Chelsea’s defense, especially players like Tosin and Jorrel Hato, was worrying, as the naivety of youngsters was clear. The defensive frailty and inability to deal with the pace of Qarabag’s counter attacking threat caused monumental spaces that unfortunately cost Chelsea crucial points.
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