London (AFP)
Chelsea and Sevilla remained back to back (0-0): the individualities of the London club, the most spending of the summer, did not shine against the collective game of the last winner of the Europa League on Tuesday during the first day of the Champions League.
If Chelsea have shown almost nothing at home, this draw in Group E seems to constitute an excellent operation for the Andalusian club, which will host Stade Rennais next Wednesday for the second day.
If the two teams have generally obtained the same number of chances, Chelsea are doing quite well in view of the poverty of their collective game and the lack of inspiration of their attacking talents, from which more can be expected. after the recruitment campaign this summer (nearly 250 million euros spent).
The Blues were mistreated for most of the match, to the point of sometimes being spectators of the collective game of Sevilla.
Territorial dominated and very slow or clumsy in their transitions, they have hardly ever been able to lead an effective counterattack.
The rare dangers did not come from Havertz, Werner, Pulisic or Mount, all transparent, but from right-back Reece James.
The latter has, as a result, often been put in defensive difficulty by the very combative Lucas Ocampos.
Despite their superiority, the Sevillians did not create any really clear chances, apart from a header from Suso, a strike from Ocampos just before the break, and a volley from Joan Jordan just in the above the bar (67th).
Undoubtedly shaken by Frank Lampard at the break, the Blues showed good intentions only for ten minutes, after returning from the locker room, and mainly athletically.
But the collective intelligence of Seville quickly regained the upper hand, and hampered the Blues as much as in the first period.
In the last twenty minutes, the two formations seemed to be satisfied with this score of parity, with a form of relief on the side of Chelsea and mathematical satisfaction on the side of Sevilla.
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