Back in 2010, Real Madrid were thumped 5-0 by Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona team in what turned out to be Jose Mourinho’s biggest defeat as a manager. Since then, Mourinho vs Guardiola rivalry has been one of the talked about aspects in world football. It is almost impossible to forget this aspect (as I just demonstrated), as the two managers prepare to renew their rivalries ahead of the UEFA Super Cup 2013.
However, it should be remembered that it is more about Bayern Munich vs Chelsea rather than Guardiola vs Mourinho. This brings us on to the 2012 Champions League final, which almost every Chelsea fan will vouch as being the best day of their life. Bayern were certainly the better team on the night. Inexperience or fate, they lost and the desire for revenge will still be on their minds.
Stronger Bayern:
Chelsea faced a pretty strong Bayern team back then and now they are even better now. Further, they are a team who have won things. This Chelsea team with young players like Andre Schurrle and Kevin De Bruyne is still finding its feet. Don’t get me wrong; this Chelsea team has also been successful, but Bayern have just been better.
In fact, I’d go as far as saying that they are the strongest team in the world now.
How Chelsea are likely to approach this game:
As with any Mourinho coached team, Chelsea will be setup to avoid defeat. One could even say that Mourinho has eventually found a way to play against Guardiola’s teams, which have a lot of possession. Incredibly, it is the trusted counter attacking style. Of course, Mourinho had Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid. Slowly but surely, Madrid became extremely competitive against Barcelona. In fact, his tactics were largely used by Roberto di Matteo in the two legs over Barcelona in 2012.
Chelsea also have some extremely fast and quality players like Eden Hazard and Andre Schurrle. Expect the attacks to be built around the runs made by them in the channels. It should be very similar to the tactics employed against Aston Villa in the 2-1 win last week.
Form:
Bayern surprisingly dropped two points in the last league match against Freiburg, but it was more down to Guardiola resting seven first team players. They were also defeated by Borussia Dortmund in the German Super Cup a month ago, but other than that, they have been imperious.
Mourinho has largely stuck with the same starting eleven since the start of the season. It has not been spectacular, but it has been enough to get the results.
Team news:
Bayern Munich will be missing a number of key players like Holger Badstuber and Thiago Alcantara. Bastian Schweinsteiger and Javi Martinez are major doubts and they will be assessed just before the match. Bayern are incredibly strong in midfield, but the absence of players like Schweinsteiger could really hurt them. If Schweinsteiger does not play, attacking midfielder Toni Kroos could take his place.
Question marks still remain about the participation of David Luiz, but he has been included in the squad nonetheless. The likes of Willian and Samuel Eto’o, who only recently joined the club, miss out. Apart from that, the squad is almost perfect. Juan Mata is apparently still not 100% yet, but there is a chance he’ll make it into the starting lineup in place of De Bruyne.
Chelsea failed to win this trophy last season as they were defeated in the most humbling circumstances by Atletico Madrid. This is a second chance, and let’s hope that we get to lay our hands on this trophy because the chance to win this trophy doesn’t come around too often.
Kick-off details:
31 August 2013
19:45 (London time)
Eden Arena, Prague
Read more: Possible line-ups, formations, and player movements
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Boss mourih should make such dat mate play 2morm match
Morinho pls use cahill ivanovic a cole terry lampard mikel hazard schrulle mata and lukaku.wit dis formation i hope cfc wil beat bayern
Mikel is highly essential in tomorrow’s match.NO DOUBT!
Pls mou let luiz start 2omrow’s match
It’s not bcoz am a Nigerian,but mikel and rameres are very much needed in tomorow’s game
Pls play mikel nd mata 4 m,bcos dey ar vri essential in chelsea squard
Plsssss let, mikel, and mata, and victoral moses play tommor plsss
Make mouriho play mikel,ramires,shurlle 4 midfield and mata,hazard and torres
GOD BLESS CFC!
Please mou pls bring dat cup home let eto.o start as d strike use 4,3,3 and chelsea wil GOD go with u
plse Mr Mou use Chech, Invino, Ashley, John t,Cahill, Essien,Mikel, Lampard ,Mata and Torres with dis i hope de victory will be OURS THANK U.
Pls we realy nid dis… Mikel, ramires and hazard, mata oscar/schurlle nd lukaku we probably bring gud result.
Why r Nigerians campaigning for Mikel?This isnt his type of game.He doesnt defend well,he cant make a long accurate pass,slow on the counter,so if played expect a long nght for cfc.He mght make 100 passses but 90 will either be sideways to the nearest blue shirt he sees or behind to the defenders.Lamps shouldnt play as well
@ kelz…This s nt hs game?and v u forgot sat he played well against dis club in champ league?as u said mikel n lampie shld nt play …who else s goin 2 take that positn?essien?
Pls boss,make use david luiz,mikel nd mata coz dey ar very important in diz type of match.
D special 1,pls use cech,ivanovic,d.luiz,cahill,a.cole,mikel,ramires,hazard,oscar,mata(or de bruyne),lukaku
Kelz I don’t think u are Chelsea fan if u are Chelsea fan u won’t b saying dat they should not use Mikel have u forgotten d guy played against desame club in uefa champions leg final and he played wel and Dey should not use Lampard so who would they use?
Pls play mikel is the best in chelsea mildfield.
God pls help chelsea 4 2day ball. And i hope chelsea will win 2-0 in jesus name amen
up chelsea up blues i wil be greatful if i should see chelsea starting john mikel obi nd juan mata in today’s match Up special one jose mourinho
Start d likes of cech,ivanov,luiz,cahil,cole,mikel,ramires,oscar,mata,hazard,lukaku or torres.wit 4-2-3-1 formation.
If mourinho want to win he shud bench lampard.he shud use 4-2-3-1.wit d likes of cech,ivanovic,luiz,cahil,cole,ramires,mikel,oscar,mata,hazard,lukaku.or torres.wit dis formation,i c no reason y we wil nt defect d angry baryarn.dis my numb.08107057472.u can also add me on 2go.juankenny1.tankz
Pls use this line up
Cech-ivan-cahill-terry-a.cole (4)
David-ramires (2)
Hazard-mata-oscar (3)
Lukaku (1)/torres
Sub
Mikel-schrulle-torres/lukaku
all dis PPLE sayin dy SHUDNT play mikel…is it u dat DEY will play…Mikel is even beta dan Lampard…he is d Unsung hero…Jose play me…4-2-3-1….CECH…IVAN,CAHILL,TERRY,COLE….RAMIREZ-MIKEL…..OSCAR,MATA,HAZARD……TORRES. Wish our bois d best….UP d special one
Without diz formation, chelsea must be defeatd.cech, cole,cahill,terry/luiz,ivanolvic.mikel,ramires, mata,oscar,hazard…torres…luiz is unlikely 2 play and starting mikel wil allow ramires flow with d ball and mata as well.
My announce is that victor moses was left out of the squad. I don’t just know why jos. Doesn’t value moses .in other hand mikel is needed because he is the one to bring the pressure down. If not, hu hu! Something else will happen.
I know vividly that it is going to be tough but coach like morinho knows best but I urge him to use mikel in place of lampard so that ramires can move around freely.I wish Chelsea best of luck.up Chelsea!up the only one.
Please someone tell me chelsea substitutions??
Please can someone tell me chelsea substitutions??
Mourinho should use Mikel, Luiz first.
To jose mikel is very important in 2 day’s game pls use dis information cech cahill terry ivanovic cole mikel remires oscar mata hazard nd torres am very sure victory is our’s mikel can stay deep nd allow reamires to mak runs comfortably likwise osacr mata harzard