Chelsea will face Southampton on the road in the middle of this week's EPL. The Blues' coach Ducao and center back Golibani are back in the lineup, and despite the suspension of Cana Galecha, this will not affect the team's overall strength. They are particularly good at playing against the "Saints" and have led at half-time in four of their last five meetings, making the chances of an away win at half-time quite impressive. (Live on Now 622 Wednesday at 2:45 a.m.!)
In Chelsea's last home match against Leeds United, Ducao and Golibani were out of action due to injuries, while Gunnar Garrincha was expelled from the match shortly after the start due to two yellow cards and a red card. Nevertheless, the team won 2-1 by virtue of Stannen's second goal, ending two consecutive matches without a win. In this fast battle, Chelsea aims to win and get all three points.
Chelsea and Southampton's tactical styles are very different, Chelsea coach Ducao's pass-and-control tactics contrast sharply with Southampton leader Shahin Houdi's wide-open style. Southampton's back line provides Chelsea with a lot of space to attack, and in the last five meetings, Chelsea scored first four times, and all of them were completed in the first half.
Southampton's back line is full of holes
Southampton recently lost 0-1 at home to Manchester United and have conceded eight goals in each of their four league games this season. The problems at the back are obvious, and it is easy to create goal scoring opportunities for the opponents. Expect Southampton's backline to face another tough test against Chelsea, who are fighting for points, and a half-time away win is a chance not to be missed.
