David Luiz has had a difficult early career at Chelsea leading many to believe that his time here will come to a swift end. Too often found wanting with the bread and butter of defending, not many would have him in their dream team in the centre back positions. He is clearly a skillful player but too frequently a liability in defence.
Some think that he would be a better player in midfield or as a marauding full back, but with John Terry, Branislav Ivanovic and possibly Gary Cahill out of the final, David Luiz is going to have to step up to the plate and have the game of his life in the centre of defence.
RDM needs to get this guy defending properly. He should be schooling him intensively in training between now and the final because Bayern’s attack is excellent.
The whole Bayern side played brilliantly last night and fully deserved to go through over two legs. Real were meek from start to finish. All they really needed to do was give Teenwolf (aka Ronaldo) the ball, but even this was beyond them and Ronnie hardly got a look in all night. Instead Real were pinned back by the brilliance of Arjen Robben and unable to build any solid pressure of their own. By the mid-point of the first half I was already thinking that Chelsea would be better off playing Real than the highly coherent and fluid Germans.
They really play like a team but there is one danger man who Chelsea need to pay particular attention to. While Ribery worked hard on the right, the real threat came from the classy Arjen Robben. Stop him and you have a great chance of stunting Bayern. Robben plays mainly down Bayern’s right and, despite Chelsea’s suspensions they still have Ashley Cole who is very well equipped to deal with the Dutchman and will know him well from their time together at Chelsea.
Robben also loves to cut in from the right flank to unload deadly left footed strikes and this is where Luiz will need to be at his absolute best. Stifle the brilliant, balding bulldozer from Bedum and Chelsea have a great chance of finally reaching the promised land.
