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So, there’s a few things we’ve learned as a football-viewing community, and one very important, I’ve come to realise off the back of the second leg of Real Madrid v Chelsea.
For the sake of this piece and keeping your attention, I’ll start with the former.
Chelsea are about as good as anyone in the league when they’re on it – there’s just not quite the same level of genius in their squad as Thomas Tuchel has benefited from in previous tenures. Make no bones about it, he is world class and if they weren’t stuck in financial limbo, I’d truly believe that they’d contend next year.
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For me personally, the lesson learned is to never, ever give in to your other half’s requests to go to the cinema during the second leg of a Champions League night, no matter how ‘over’ the tie might seem.
But we’ve all moved on, and hopefully Chelsea have too. I’d like to believe they’re sharpened now. There’s a confidence boost in camp that showed them that they’re capable of pulling off the near-impossible and that has to jolt them – once they’re not too withered from the exertions.
I’m willing to bet that they’re just fine. Here’s a Bet Builder.
FA Cup semi-final
Sunday, April 17 4:30pm: Chelsea v Crystal Palace
ITV1
*A Bet Builder with these four bets pays at approximately 13/1 with Paddy Power. CLICK HERE TO ADD IT TO YOUR BETSLIP.
Chelsea to Win
Unquestionably, Chelsea are the better side. Undeniably, there’s no real element of historical head-to-heads that should concern you – and genuinely, I can’t see how, due to a combination of both of those things – there’s any other outcome possible here. There’s also the Tuchel effect. The man does not throw away big games and never really has done.
Minute failings in run of the mill league games? Sure. But the German is so ruthlessly prepared when it comes to the big day that his side’s rarely ever fail to turn up. It also helps that his squad is quite big, so a rejig won’t dilute the quality too much.
Over 2.5 Goals
This is more a play on how I think the game will go based on last week’s 6-0 drubbing of Southampton. Chelsea, when at it from the start, can find a gear that even an opposition press struggle with, given the sophistication of how they shift the ball. If you can do that in a game and the opposition simply doesn’t have an out where they can score a goal and bring it to extra time, they know they’re safe.
For all that people think they’ll be rattled from last week, I think they’ll be buoyed and see their performance as a confirmation of last year’s success in Europe.
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Both Teams to Score – No
And here’s the other side of it. Do I believe Palace can score against Chelsea? Of course. But what I don’t believe in is their ability to score against Chelsea when the Blues aren’t sending their wing backs forward. Palace operate in inside space, which is the gap between the widest player on the pitch and the closest central defender.
That gap is massive against a back four who overload; slightly smaller against a back three that do it – but against a back three who won’t be sending their width higher up the pitch? There won’t even be the space to cross.
Timo Werner to Score Anytime
There’s still the odd flash of class about him. Sometimes people forget that he was genuinely world class in Germany because he has nice hair and looks a bit more like a FIFA generated Create-A-Player than an actual striker.
But in recent weeks, he’s sharper. He looks back to his old self, and the only real difference between his time in Germany and in London is the amount of space he’s running into. He looks a real threat again.
Chelsea v Palace Bet Builder tips:
Chelsea to Win
Over 2.5 Goals
Both Teams to Score – No
Timo Werner to Score Anytime
*A Bet Builder with these four bets pays at approximately 13/1 with Paddy Power. CLICK HERE TO ADD IT TO YOUR BETSLIP.
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