Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca acknowledged his ongoing efforts to address his team’s defensive issues following a 2-1 defeat to a youthful Real Madrid side in Charlotte, marking the conclusion of their United States tour.
First-half goals from Dani Ceballos and Brahim Diaz secured the win for Madrid, despite a header from Noni Madueke. Chelsea‘s defensive vulnerabilities were once again exposed, having conceded 12 goals across five pre-season games in America, including going 4-0 down in two matches and securing only one win.
Maresca stated that he addressed the “very high” defensive line in one of his initial meetings with the players, noting it as a carryover “from last season.”
In the 19th minute, Ceballos capitalized on a deflected Lucas Vazquez shot to score. Diaz added to Madrid’s tally in the 27th minute, maneuvering past new goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen to score from a tight angle. Jorgensen was making his first start at the Bank of America Stadium.
Chelsea managed to pull one back when Madueke headed in Enzo Fernandez’s cross at the far post in the 39th minute.
Maresca refrained from making any half-time substitutions, and his adjusted team appeared more solid in a goalless second half. The best chance fell to Christopher Nkunku, who missed a one-on-one opportunity.
Despite missing several star players, Carlo Ancelotti’s side saw an impressive performance from wide attacker Vinicius Jr, who excelled in the absence of Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe. Both are expected to train as early as tomorrow as both teams return to Europe immediately after the match.
Chelsea is set to face Inter Milan at Stamford Bridge on Sunday in their final friendly before their Premier League opener against champions Manchester City on August 18.
Madrid’s next challenge is against Atalanta in the UEFA Super Cup in Warsaw on August 14, a match that pits the Champions League winners against the Europa League winners as a prelude to the European competition season.
Maresca Concerned About Leaky Backline
Chelsea conceded a club record 63 goals under Mauricio Pochettino last season in the Premier League. This trend of allowing quality opposition time on the ball, seen against Celtic, Manchester City, and Madrid on this tour, has persisted.
Maresca said: “One of my first meetings with the squad was about the amount of goals we conceded last year with the defensive line very high. We are not working on defensive lines so high. It’s a habit from last year, or years ago, I don’t know. We are trying to drop the defensive line a little bit, usually about four or five metres, just to have some advantage. Last year, we already conceded many goals with this problem. Hopefully, we can solve it very soon.”
The former Leicester manager emphasized that the issue lies with the team as a whole, not just the defense, which featured Reece James, Levi Colwill, Benoit Badiashile, and Malo Gusto. Maresca has also been implementing a new system and style, leading to several individual mistakes resulting in goals conceded in the United States.
Maresca has previously used matches as “training sessions” due to the tight schedule, travel, and high heat in the United States, leaving little time for tactical work. He stresses the need for stability before Chelsea faces Manchester City in their Premier League opener.
Vinicius Jr Shines Before Mbappe’s Arrival
Brazilian superstar Vinicius Jr reminded the 55,000-strong crowd, primarily Madrid supporters, of his talent before Mbappe’s anticipated arrival. This was Vinicius’ first start in pre-season after participating in the Copa America. He created several chances, demonstrated strong work rate in pressing, and made penetrating runs against Chelsea’s high defensive line.
Vinicius narrowly missed a curling effort, forced a defensive mistake leading to a missed chance by Diaz, and provided an assist for another opportunity converted by Diaz.
While Mbappe and England’s star midfielder Bellingham may soon dominate the headlines, Vinicius remains one of the world’s most exciting attackers and a Ballon d’Or contender.
Chelsea’s Squad Depth but Limited Striker Options
Eighteen-year-old striker Marc Guiu, signed from Barcelona for £5 million, has started all but one of Chelsea’s pre-season matches. Despite showing promise in other matches, he was quiet against European champions Madrid.
Alternative striker Nicolas Jackson only recently began training, and Chelsea appears short on options despite having a squad of 45 players. Romelu Lukaku and Armando Broja, despite being fit, were left out of the matchday squad and are expected to leave.
This leaves Nkunku, who finished the match up front, as the likely starter against Manchester City. Nkunku has shown promise in a midfield role during Maresca’s pre-season.
It’s clear why Chelsea is looking to bolster their options, with active talks to sign Atletico Madrid’s Samu Omorodion and continued interest in Napoli’s Victor Osimhen.
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