Chelsea vs Bayern Munich: Why Frank Lampard should stick with the 3-4-3 formation against the Bavarians | Champions League 2019-20
The glitz and glamour of the Champions League knockout stage will return to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday evening as Chelsea host Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Round of 16 fixture.
The occasion has become a rare event in recent years as the Blues did not qualify for the elite European competition in 2016-17 and 2018-19 and have failed to win a knockout game since 2014.
Unfortunately, Frank Lampard's men will head into the game with mediocre form as last Monday's defeat at home to Manchester United meant Chelsea had collected only 15 points from their last 14 games in the Premier League. Moreover, injuries to Christian Pulisic, Callum Hudson-Odoi, and N'Golo Kante along with the fitness struggles of Tammy Abraham and Ruben Loftus-Cheek have left the west London club in a vulnerable position before the all-important tie.
However, Lampard appears to have found a solution to the problem as the Blues defeated arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 over the weekend. More than the result, the performance would have given the Stamford-Bridge faithful a lot to be optimistic about as the players dominated proceedings from start to finish.
It was the Chelsea manager's decision to tweak the formation and play 3-4-3 which caught the headlines. As a result, the question on the lips of the football community is whether the Blues would line up in the same system against Bayern.
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Lampard's 3-4-3 solution
As Jose Mourinho pointed out in the post-match press conference, this wasn't the first team against which Lampard has used this formation throughout the season. He deployed the system in Chelsea's victory against Tottenham Hotspur and persisted with the same in the following home game against Southampton which they ultimately lost. While they continued with the same formation three days later against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, the Blues changed back to a traditional 4-3-3 in the first half itself.
Similarly, after a shaky start to the season, Lampard used a 3-4-3 in his side's emphatic 5-2 away victory to Wolves but paid the price for sticking with it in the next fixture as the Europa League winners lost their opening Champions League fixture against Valencia. However, Chelsea did use the system against Lille and came out successful with a crucial 2-1 victory.
Is this time different?
Quite evidently, Chelsea fans would want Lampard to learn from past experiences and not fall in the same trap again. Having said that, there is a good chance to argue that the lineup that featured against Spurs was successful because it was slightly different. The main factor is the presence of Reece James and Marcos Alonso at the wing-back positions. It was only the second time that the duo played together having done so in the Lille game as well.
The success of a three-defender system is vastly dependent on the wing-backs and their attacking abilities. Cesar Azpilicueta, who is one of the finest defenders in the Premier League, is not comfortable attacking from wide areas while Emerson would not be suited to playing in a back-five.
On the other hand, Marcos Alonso's lack of defensive nous makes him a liability in a four-man defence but he is still one of the best in the world at wing-back. Meanwhile, Reece James is a complete natural and has given Chelsea's attack a different dimension since coming into the team.
With both James and Alonso fit and available, it is likely to make Lampard feel a lot more confident to continue using the system.
The Midfield
The fitness of N'Golo Kante has been one of the major problems that have hurt Chelsea's current season. He has missed a series of games due to various injuries and has not looked at his best since his return. The Frenchman suffered a fresh injury blow as he was forced off the pitch against Manchester United last week and is set to miss football for another three weeks.
Meanwhile, Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic have looked comfortable playing together and produced some of the Blues' best football under Lampard. The duo has complemented each other perfectly and their link-up play has been a thing of aesthetic brilliance. However, as good as they are on the ball, neither of them is naturally defensive-minded, leaving the team slightly vulnerable in the middle of the park. With the presence of three centre-backs on the pitch, the defensive burden on the duo reduces and gives them a more balanced set-up.
Furthermore, this system allows Mason Mount to play in an inside forward role which gives him more freedom to play his natural game. As the victory against Tottenham exhibited, the 3-4-3 lets Mount play closer to the striker and attack the pockets of space in which he is more dangerous. Whenever the Englishman has been at his best, Chelsea have looked a better team this season and, hence, making full use of the youngster's energy and work-rate is extremely crucial.
Ultimately for a game against a qualitatively superior opponent like Bayern Munich, a team would have to show a lot of pragmatism. Knowing Lampard, one can expect that the Blues will look to dominate possession and play their natural game. However, the Bavarians will try to do the same resulting in moments where they will gain control in the game. Hence, choosing a line-up with more defensive protection will not be the worst of ideas, especially with a system like the 3-4-3, which also has a counter-attacking threat.
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