Premier League giants Chelsea are scheduled to play out what is likely going to be their last match of the season when they travel to the Allianz Arena to take on Bayern Munich this weekend. The Blues are coming into this fixture on the back of a disappointing 2-1 FA Cup final defeat to Arsenal last time out. The first leg of the fixture was completed prior to the suspension of football, in a match where the Bavarians ran out 3-0 winners at a sold-out Stamford Bridge.
Beating the German champions by a three-goal margin would be a tough task for even the strongest teams in the world, and asking this young Chelsea side to do it in Bavaria would be nothing short of delusional. The best that Frank Lampard can expect to get out of this tie should be a decent result, one that could be used to echo their intentions going into the next Premier League campaign. At the end of the day though, this is football, and that unpredictability is what makes this the most exciting sport in the world.
Team News
Chelsea are coming into this fixture with nine out of their 25-man Champions League squad out on the sidelines. Marcos Alonso and Jorginho are both suspended from the first-leg, while Cesar Azpilicueta, Christian Pulisic and Pedro all suffered untimely injuries against Arsenal last weekend. Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Willian have both been nursing slight niggles, while N’Golo Kante is a doubt as well. With limited options to choose from, Lampard could be forced to make a flurry of changes for this encounter against the German champions.
Predicted 4-3-3 Chelsea Lineup Vs Bayern Munich
Formation: 4-3-3
Defence
The uncertainty surrounding the future of Kepa Arrizabalaga has been an issue over recent weeks, and the fact that he played no part in the cup final must perhaps be perceived as the final straw. Veteran Argentine Willy Caballero is likely to maintain his place between the sticks for this clash. In front of him, expect Lampard to move into a back-four, having deployed five at the back for every match since their win against Manchester United. This would see Andreas Christensen dropping down to the bench, with Antonio Rudiger and Kurt Zouma starting the tie. Reece James and Emerson are expected to take up the full-back roles.
Midfield
One thing that Chelsea fans will all be eagerly waiting for is the return of N’Golo Kante. Although the Frenchman was part of the matchday squad against Arsenal, Lampard deemed him not fit enough to play a part. Assuming that he’s now better, the World Cup winner is likely to start in the heart of midfield, sitting just in front of the Blues’ back-line. Alongside the Frenchman, Mateo Kovacic is in line to continue, with English midfield Ross Barkley expected to come into the eleven in place of the suspended Jorginho.
Attack
Olivier Giroud has been forced to play a lot of football over the last couple of months, and the Frenchman could hence be rested for this tie. Lampard could opt to give Tammy Abraham a start leading the line instead, in an attempt to open up spaces in behind the Bayern Munich defence line. With the likes of Willian, Pedro and Pulisic all unavailable to feature, the Blues will be forced to deploy the only two options that they have left in the roster – Callum Hudson-Odoi and Mason Mount.
