Chelsea FC vs. Napoli UEFA Champions League: Predicting the Starting XI

Roberto Di Matteo is 2-0 as head of Chelsea FC, but faces his stiffest challenge to date Wednesday night as the Blues play host to Napoli in the second round of their Champions League tie.

Napoli comes into Stamford Bridge with a comfortable 3-1 lead, after they were able to capitalize on the defensive mistakes of Andre Villas-Boas’ inept back line. Chelsea will have to be much more solid this time around as any goal conceded would surely make a comeback impossible.

In need of only two goals to progress, it is far from improbable that they overcome the deficit, but will have to put on the kind of dominant performance that has eluded them all season.

With the need for an attack minded approach, here is my predictions for the starting lineup in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

GK: Petr Cech

Cech had a very dull afternoon on Saturday as he was not called into action on a single shot. Other than having to come out and grab the ball on a cross or two, he could have spent the game socking up the sun on a warm London Spring day.

He will have to be more active against Napoli as their high-flying attacking is one of the best in all of Europe and gave them fits the first time around.

Clean sheets have been few and far between for the keeper this season, but he will need to post one Wednesday if they want any hope of progressing.

RB: Branislav Ivanovic

Ivanovic would do well to forget the first-leg where he was embarrassed on more than one occasion by the Napoli defense. Edinson Cavani shrugged him off to score the second goal and handled him for most of the match.

However, that was Ivanovic playing alongside players he was never use to being with in the first place. It was a travesty just waiting to happen.

Ivanovic will be back out on the flank Wednesday, holding down that right side of the defense where he belongs. With a group that he is more familiar with, he should undoubtedly put in a better performance.

CB: John Terry

In hindsight, you can almost suggest that not only did John Terry’s injuries cost Chelsea titles last season and this one, but it also cost the two most recent managers their jobs. The underperforming club has leaked goals throughout the season, but not nearly as much as in Terry’s absence.

His return last Saturday was a return to the kind of football Chelsea fans expect – a fortress like atmosphere where you have to work to get a shot off and goals are a rarity.

He was obviously missed against Napoli in the first leg, as the Cahill and Ivanovic could not control their forwards. But it was really his leadership that caused the most disorganization. There was no veteran or wise head in the back to organize and give them the stability they needed.

Terry being back in the lineup not only increases the backline through his physical presence, but also raises everyone else’s abilities through his leadership.

CB: Gary Cahill

Cahill had a rough first few games in Blue, but he was also being played alongside a teammate that is the antithesis of every kind of player he has played with before, David Luiz.

When he paired up with Terry for the first time Saturday, he turned into the defender we hoped he would be. He was solid and direct in his ball movement and strong in the air against a very big Stoke city.

Obviously Napoli presents a much better challenge than Stoke, but if he can play the way he did against them Wednesday, he should have no problem getting the same result.

It was a tough pick at this spot, but Luiz is too erratic to risk. Chelsea have enough other options in the attack that they do not need the unpredictable play of Luiz in the back giving Napoli an easy goal.

LB: Ashley Cole

Cole has not had the best season of his long and distinguished career, but he is still the best option they have at the left-back position.

At 30 years old he is well past the age when playing 50 games a season is the norm, and the 500 plus games he has played in are starting to take their toll. He is slower and more rash in challenges than he has been in the past.

But in the end, he is still Ashley Cole and is the player you want to see on the left of the defense. He is going to stop the wingers, make runs forward and at consistently is one of the better players on the field.

CDM: Michael Essien

If there is one player you could point the finger at and suggest it was their fault Chelsea lost the first leg, it would be Raul Meireles. His role as a holding midfielder alongside Ramires was the fatal move that ultimately led to Villas-Boas’ sacking.

He was to blame on two goals, both times failing to close down on the ball carrier who once provided an easy assist and another time scored himself.

Essien will get the start Wednesday to make sure that does not happen again. The Ghanaian is finding his legs after his long-term injury that kept him out at the beginning of the season. He will not allow the Napoli midfield to roam and move with nearly as much ease as they did last time.

Plus, he is always a threat to go forward and make something happen, what Chelsea will need more than anything this game.

CDM: Ramires

Ramires was not infallible the first time around, but he will be needed Wednesday for his pace and energy.

With the Blues pushing forward and pressing from the start in search of an early goal, the defense will be left exposed more than once. Ramires will have to be a box-to-box player in the truest sense of the word, marauding all over the pitch, chasing down forwards and threatening defenders.

I would not be surprised if he was not given a position as much as he is told to be involved in the play wherever he can. His work rate could be what gets Chelsea through.

LAM: Juan Mata

Since Mata arrived at Stamford Bridge, he has been the sole reason why Chelsea win or lose. Every positive result they have scrapped has been off his excellent performances. Every loss, he has been absent.

Di Matteo will need to do everything he can to make sure Mata is involved on the ball and in the play.

Villas-Boas started him in behind Drogba in the first leg, but he had trouble creating from such a clustered position.

By placing him outside on the wing against a three back defense, he will get in more one on one instances, where he is at  his best. He can drift in toward the middle, but starting him out wide gets him the ball with the most space.

CAM: Frank Lampard

This spot will come under the most scrutiny as Villas-Boas fans are still blaming Lampard for his departure. But if they want to win, Lampard gives them the best chance at it.

Statistically he was the best player on Chelsea against Stoke and though he might be condemned for playing “too slow” in the buildup, they have won more games with him on the pitch than without.

In match where goals are needed, it is foolish to leave off the team’s top goal scorer and best penalty taker, just because he does not fit the style that you like. Villas-Boas’ decision to not play him in the first leg came under more question than any during his tenure.

The truth is he plays well with the other players I have listed and can easily switch in and out with Mata on the side. As hard as it may be for the naysayers to believe, but Mata found Drogba alone because of an excellent Lampard run that cleared out the middle, just watch the tape.

But when it comes down to it, Chelsea need goals and no one is better positioned to give them to them than Lampard.

RAM: Daniel Sturridge

Say whatever you would like about the lad, but he can put the ball in the back of the net. He has fallen out of favor recently as his lack of goals has exposed the fragility you would expect of a 22-year-old, but he still provides and edge and excitement they will need as they attack.

Out on the right-wing alone he tends to become isolated, but if he can drift inside and play one-twos with the center-forward, he will be a much bigger threat.

He has scored many of his goals by getting lost in the defense and then popping up all alone. His speed and quickness also make him poised for big moments, especially against a slow backline like Napoli’s.

He only has one goal in his last 12 matches, but Wednesday provides him with the perfect opportunity to break that spell.

CF: Didier Drogba

When Sturridge was substituted on in the latter half of Chelsea’s game against Stoke, it was a telling sign that perhaps Fernando Torres is done at Stamford Bridge.

Drogba will likely get the start as he has not been in stellar form this season, but his play off the ball always makes him a credible threat. Whether it be is strength in the air, speed at his feet or his free kicks, he is always has the ability to create something out of nothing.

With Lampard in behind him, it will be like the old days when the two would feed the ball off one another setting up a combined goal total of more than 250 between them.

With Mata and Sturridge on the wings, he can do what he does best, playing one-twos with them all day as they slip in behind the back line.

Who Do You Think Will Start?

The player selection I have predicted is with one goal in mind - to find the back of the net. Chelsea have failed to do so enough this season and that is why they have been eliminated from the competitions that they have.

Di Matteo will hopefully forgo any kind of trickery and deceit and just get back to the basics of the Chelsea brand: a stout defensive performance where goals come not through sustained beauty, but moments of excellence.

Who do you think will start against Napoli?

As always, please leave your comments below and thanks for reading!

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