Chelsea faced off against Malmo in the UEFA Europa League earlier tonight looking to bounce back from their 6-0 drubbing at the hands of Manchester City last weekend. The Pensioners dominated the match early on and took the lead in the 30th minute courtesy of Ross Barkley’s strike which gave them a narrow one-goal advantage at half-time.
Malmo began the second half looking to be more adventurous in the Chelsea half. However, Oliver Giroud scored the all-important second goal of the game in the 58th minute to put his side in a commanding position.
However, the home team came up with a response in the 80th minute courtesy of Anders Christiansen’s goal. The match ended with Maurizio Sarri’s men earning a hard-fought 2-1 win which puts them in pole position to qualify heading into the second leg at Stamford Bridge later this month.
Let’s take a look at how each Chelsea player fared during the match against Malmo.
GK: Kepa Arrizabalaga – 6/10
The Spanish keeper was hardly tested during the game. So he will be bitterly disappointed for not keeping a clean sheet on the night.
RB: César Azpilicueta – 7/10
The Spanish full-back defended valiantly and was a good outlet for the Pensioners down the right flank.
CB: Andreas Christensen – 6/10
He was beaten in the lead up to Malmo’s late goal which has kept this UEFA Europa League tie alive.
CB: David Luiz – 7/10
The Brazilian was defensively sound and sprayed some wonderful diagonal through passes during the match.
LB: Emerson Palmieri dos Santos – 6.5/10
He was always trying to stretch the pitch going forward. Emerson linked up well with Willian down the wide areas and was a major threat going forward.
CM: Mateo Kovacic – 5.5/10
The Croat played the ball out from midfield but didn’t create anything meaningful in the opposition half. He needs to be productive or else risk being dropped from Sarri’s first-team.
CM: Jorginho – 6/10
He had a solid first half when he retained the ball well for his side at the middle of the park. However, his effect on the game wore off in the second half which is why he was subbed out for NGolo Kante.
CM: Ross Barkley – 7.5/10
The English talent acted as a liaison between the Chelsea midfield and their attack. He gave his side the lead in the first half which will give him a lot of confidence to perform well over the next few weeks.
RW: Pedro – 7/10
The Spanish winger was a class act down the right channel. He was always looking to get on the ball and create chances for his teammates. Pedro got a well-deserved assist to show for his efforts in the first half.
ST: Olivier Giroud – 7/10
The French centre-forward held the ball up well and brought his teammates into the game. He scored the decisive second goal for the Pensioners which turned out to be the winner.
LW: Willian – 8/10
The Brazilian talent was Sarri’s biggest weapon on the pitch. He was at the heart of every good move that Chelsea could cook up on the night. He set-up Giroud for Chelsea’s second goal with a brilliant pass.
Substitutes:
LW: Eden Hazard – 6/10
The Belgian winger showed signs of promise but lacked the cutting edge in the final third.
CM: NGolo Kante – 5/10
Despite replacing Jorginho, he was asked to play in an advanced role in midfield which didn’t suit him.
RW: Callum Hudson-Odoi – N/A
Not enough time to make an impact.
