| taken from: eurosoccerweb.com |
Mata's importance for Chelsea has only intensified this season and him being fully fit will be crucial for the team. In the case of his absence, Moses is likely to take his place. A better case scenario in my mind is if Mata can play as that will free up Moses. Even though Fernando Torres has been the center of attention prior to the game, I believe Moses will be a better choice for the striking role in this game. Torres has not been in spectacular form and Moses will definitely pose a problem for the Liverpool's defence. What Torres can do, Moses can do better, with his dribbling and tricks coming off more times than the former Liverpool hitman. Moses will also provide that extra bit of running that will be helpful against Liverpool when they attempt to pass the ball about the defence. The return of Luiz and Terry should form the core of the defence but the more important return to the starting line up should be that of Ivanovic. His marauding runs should pose a problem to Liverpool and test Enrique who has yet to cement a place in the team and doubts linger about his ability.
The front three of Liverpool has impressed in terms of their ability yet the wingers have been unable to garner much results in terms of goalscoring. They have largely relied on Luis Suarez to produce the goods, with his 7 goals accounting for more than half of the team's goals. The performance of midfielder Sahin has as of yet unable to reach the heights that his loan move promised. The return of Lucas will be a very welcome move but this match should too early for that. Brad Jones' continued presence in goal should be a cause for worry for Liverpool fans. He just simply does not have the quality to perform in the EPL. Luckily for them, Chelsea is not a team that focuses on long shots or crosses and the possibility of Jones making major mistakes in the game might not be that high.
Predictions:
The styles of both teams should make the difference in this match. Liverpool prefers their slow patient passing game while Chelsea adopts a more incisive swift attacking style. The possession might not show much, but Chelsea will be the one having all the penetrative powers. Expect Chelsea to wrap the game up in the first half with a 2-0 scoreline at odds of 15/2. With Suarez in the form that he is in, it is hard to envision him drawing a blank today and the final score should be a 3-1 to Chelsea. Also worth considering is taking Chelsea on the handicap, which should pay dividends though the odds on offer are not exactly attractive. Honestly, there does not seem to be any value bets on this game and it might be wise to steer clear of this game completely.
No comments:
Post a Comment