PMB: Roma v Chelsea - history and tactics

NEWSTUE 31 OCT 2017

We complete our preview for the game with a glance at the past and a look ahead at tonight from club historian Rick Glanvill and club statistician Paul Dutton…

WE HAVE HISTORY

Chelsea and Roma meet tonight for the third time in Rome. The Blues’ first visit was not at Stadio Olimpico however; instead it was at the smaller Stadio Flamino. The game was a second leg in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup on 6 October 1965 and it was a night full of rancour after an explosive first leg had ended 4-1 to the Londoners.

‘Chelsea, who took the field to a storm of booing and whistling, had the better of a quiet first quarter of an hour,’ reported The Times. ‘With [John] Boyle playing as an extra back they presented a formidable defensive wall, but moved quickly into attack several times.’

There were further flashpoints of the sort that peppered the first leg at the Bridge, which had gone the way of Tommy Docherty’s side despite a red card for Eddie McCreadie. At one point in the second leg in Rome, Leonardi responded to an aggressive tackle from Marvin Hinton by appearing to punch the Chelsea centre-half.

Actual goalmouth action was at a premium. Peter Bonetti was rarely tested while Fabio Cudicini, father of the current Chelsea assistant coach Carlo, known as ‘il ragno nero’ (‘the black spider’) was only really called into action once, thwarting Bert Murray (pictured below) with a finger-tip save. 

Disappointed home fans pelted the pitch with anything from paper to sticks and rocks, and Boyle needed treatment after being hit taking a throw-in. 

After the game ended 0-0, 4-1 to the Blues on aggregate, the Chelsea players and officials endured missiles smashing their coach’s windows as they set off for the airport.

Following two visits to Stadio Olimpico for Champions League clashes against Lazio, including a brilliant 4-0 win in 2003, the Londoners returned to face Roma in the group stage in early November 2008. Luciano Spalletti’s side took the lead 10 minutes before half-time through former Blues right-back Christian Panucci and, despite the half-time introduction by Luiz Felipe Scolari of Didier Drogba, made it 3-0 inside the hour mark with two from Mirko Vucinic. 

Current Albania manager Christian Panucci scores against his former club in 2008

John Terry’s 75th-minute tap-in hinted at a comeback, but five minutes later a second yellow for Deco ended any real hope, and the Italians eventually finished top of Group A. 

BLUE NOTES

 

INTER-CITIES FAIRS CUP FIRST ROUND SECOND LEG 6 OCT 1965

Managers: Tommy Docherty and Juan Carlos Lorenzo

Roma……………....0           Chelsea…….………..0

              Att: 40,000

CHELSEA’S BIGGEST AWAY WIN IN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

20/10/1999        Galatasaray 0-5 Chelsea     First group stage

25/11/2014        Schalke 0-5 Chelsea           Group stage

ROMA’S BIGGEST HOME WIN IN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

17/09/2014        Roma 5-1 CSKA Moscow     Group stage 

TACTICAL BRIEF

•            Antonio Conte was deprived of the services of N’Golo Kante and Danny Drinkwater for the reverse of tonight's fixture at the start of this month, but still elected to play a three-man midfield, with Tiemoue Bakayoko and Cesc Fabregas slightly advanced of David Luiz in the centre. When the injured David Luiz left the field, the coach switched from 3-5-1-1 to 3-4-3 with Bakayoko and Fabregas the holding pair. Last season’s Footballer of the Year Kante could return this evening, and Drinkwater continued his return to match fitness with a late appearance at Bournemouth. Either could start this evening, again as part of a three to match the hosts in that pivotal area of the field. 

•            With Pedro restored to the starting 11 and Alvaro Morata closer to full fitness again at Bournemouth, we saw more of the narrow front three of last season, aimed at ensuring there are sufficient attacking players in the opposition box. The burgeoning partnership between Eden Hazard and Morata led to the winning goal. However, tonight in Italy we may see a return to the more midfield-dominated set-up, with the no.10 again tucked in behind the no.9 upfront. It was also noticeable against the Dorset side that the pass completion rates, especially at the back, were much higher than in other recent matches, always a good statistic to take away to Italian sides.

•            Although Saturday also brought a welcome clean sheet after six games in all competitions without and the Cherries were restricted to a single on-target effort in the dying moments, Roma offer a different threat, especially at home. They are persistent rather than prolific but miserly at the back – a regular 1-0 side – placing a premium on opponents’ chances. The win at Bournemouth was a comfortable one but, coming just three days before this crucial match, the players might have had an even easier time of it with a couple of goals as cushion. Converting more of the goalscoring opportunities is one area flagged up by Conte at the weekend, though the three put past Roma a fortnight ago must boost confidence. 

•            It was also clear from our encounter at the Bridge that Roma were ill at ease with the Blues’ incisiveness on the counter attack, and a return to the slick, one-touch play in the final third was very much a feature of the English champions’ performance at the Vitality Stadium. The Giallorossi could be without either of their preferred right-backs tonight, offering further opportunities for the visitors’ widemen on the left, as well as influential defender Kostas Manolas. 

•            For Roma all roads lead to Dzeko, their top goalscorer and only ever-present outfielder. Other than the double goalscoring Bosnian (who had never previously netted against the Blues) in London it was the bustling power of skipper Radja Nainggolan and Aleksandar Kolarov, the ex-Man City left-back, that produced the most difficult moments for the hosts, who let slip a 2-0 advantage.

•            Eusebio Di Francesco’s side have registered three straight 1-0 Serie A victories since the 3-3- draw. There has been mixed news on the injury front for the Roma coach. Although Kevin Strootman was back in midfield on Saturday, Kostas Manolas remains sidelined and fellow defender Rick Karsdorp has been injured again since we met.

•            Patrik Schick is now off the treatment table, but inventive attacking midfielder Gregoire Defrel, a summer signing, and regular right-back Bruno Peres left the field with injuries on Saturday. The Peres and Karsdorp absences hand Di Francesco a problem at right-back.

•            A Stephan El Shaarawy volley against Bologna at the weekend made it 23 Serie A wins in 27 games at Stadio Olimpico for the Giallorossi. Never the less, Di Francesco has had to fend off criticism his team lacks creativity, that he rotates his team too much and that they rely too heavily on a strongbox defence. That safe was cracked open at Stamford Bridge thanks in no small part to Eden Hazard. From no goals in eight games up to mid-October, the in-form Belgian has racked up three goals in three matches. Let us hope 31 October proves a Hallow’Eden nightmare for Juan Jesus and co.