Face Off: Will Jose give Pep the 'Blues'?

It is official. After a lot of speculation and almost confirmed rumors, the Special One returns back to the blues of London. It was Jose who delivered them the league titles in two consecutive seasons (also being the first one for Chelsea). The same standards will be expected of the Portuguese again.

However, this time, he meets his old nemesis in his first encounter. The same man who gave him the blushes in his first El Clasico. A humiliating 5-0 defeat at the Nou Camp. The same man who snatched away his La Decima dream from him. The same man, who was at the helm of the Catalans during Mourinho’s reign at Madrid, Pep Guardiola.

This time, it will be the Bavarians from Germany going head to head with the Blues from London in the UEFA Super Cup.

Bayern Munich has been the most consistent team in the UEFA Champions League this season. They have seen off threats from every team, be it the Italians or the Spanish.
Meanwhile, parking the bus worked for Chelsea last year, when they defeated the Bavarians at the Allianz Arena in Munich. However, this time the Blues had to settle with the Europa League, courtesy Rafa Benitez.

The UEFA Super Cup encounter has set up a replay of the 2012 UEFA Champions League final. The Bavarians will be looking to salvage some pride, whereas, Jose will be looking forward to make a statement with Chelsea, to announce his arrival in the Premiership again.

Jose Mourinho has the experience of playing against Pep and Bayern Munich (and he lost against both of them). He is up against the brilliance of Gaurdiola combined with the counter attacking style of the Bavarians.

Similarly, his counter part, Pep has also played against the Blues as well as Mourinho. For Pep, he will be up against the master tactician and his Blues (who gave him the blushes during his last season with the Catalans).

Neither Gaurdiola’s tiki-taka, nor Mourinho’s bus will be there to help them. Bayern play best when they attack and counter attack their opponents. The only way to defeat or at least scare a ravaging Bayern side, is to counter attack them. With their strengths, they will not let their opponent keep possession or dominate the play. Meanwhile, the one in Chelsea’s 4-2-3-1 this time is not the Ivorian, who denied Bayern their legacy with his sheer brilliance. It going to be a tough job for Mourinho but, as we know, he is the ‘Special One’ (now he calls himself the ‘Only One’) and nothing is impossible for him.

Statistically speaking, in the La Liga, Pep leads Mourinho 2-1. (2 wins for Barca, 1 for Real and a draw). In the Copa Del Rey, it is 1-1 (a final and a quarter final, with 1 win for Madrid, 1 for Barca and a draw). But, definitely it is the Portuguese who holds the edge in this competition, defeating Barcelona in the finals in 2010, courtesy an unstoppable Ronaldo header.

In the UEFA Champions League, they have met only once in 2010-11. The scoreline reads 1-0 to Pep (a win for Barca and a draw), courtesy the brilliance of the FIFA World Player of the Year, who unleashed his magic at the Bernabeu.

Considering the above stats, the final score line reads 4-2 in favor of the ex-Barca Coach.

However, matches are not won on paper. Deploying one’s brilliance combined with one’s strength on the field is the key. It is a new start for both these men. Both of them successful in their own regards. Both of them having their own legacy.

It will be a great chance for the Portuguese to gain the upper hand by winning the Cup. On the other hand, Pep will also be looking forward to scripting his new legacy with a win.

It is going to be an exciting start to the season. Maybe, the first 90 minutes will not be enough to separate the two teams, but at the end of the match, will Jose give Pep the blues, or will Pep have the last laugh, again!