Chelsea prepares to lock horns against Liga MX side Club America, as they seek their first victory on pre-season tour at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
The new-look Chelsea are still in quest of their maiden win under Enzo Maresca‘s reign, following a woeful outing in the previous match, going down 4-1 against the Celtic. Until now, they have played a 2-2 tie in the trip’s opener against Wrexham in California and suffered a defeat against the Scottish outfit in the five-game friendly tour.
While Club America kick-started their domestic campaign earlier this month, the Mexican side have yet to have the desired start to their 2024-25 season. They would be eager to pick up some consistency, before resuming domestic fixtures following the breaks. The Mexican champions would be focused entirely on challenging the Premier League rivals in the friendly clash.
When & Where?
Date: Thursday, 1 August 2024.
Time: 12:30 am BST.
Venue: Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Chelsea vs Club America – Team News
For the Blues, South American star midfield pairing Enzo Fernandes and Moises Caicedo have joined the squad in the USA, following their off-season break due to international duty. Meanwhile, Marc Cucurella, Conor Gallagher and Cole Palmer are expected to join later in the coming weeks.
The Danish keeper, Filip Jorgensen – attended the club’s first training session on Tuesday, after completing his much-anticipated transfer from Villareal on a seven-year deal and is expected to debut on the pre-season trip.
The £30 million arrival from Leicester City this summer — Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is recovering from an ankle injury and has to wait for his Chelsea debut. Similarly, Nicholas Jackson is also expected to remain on the sidelines for this fixture, due to an ankle injury.
Club Amerca led by Brazillian boss – André Jardine have no such injury woes affecting their squad, The Liga MX outfit are expected to go with a full-fledged lineup. Although, they would have an option to provide some rest for their starters in their upcoming two friendlies against Chelsea and Aston Villa in the United States.
Pre-Match Analysis
Enzo Mareca’s coaching style and tactics have certainly brought positive changes to Chelsea’s gameplay, as seen in the first match keeping the ball possession and trying to build from the back. However, the players made a series of blenders adapting the new norms but more importantly, they recorded a decent start to life under the Italian boss.
Against Celtic, the Londoners were completely outclassed by the rivals, as the Scottish opponents exploited every single weak link in the 3-4-2-1 formation. The Chelsea defensive line was visibly the most vulnerable area, with the Celtics players and attackers swiftly breaking the defensive high line and exploiting the gaps.
The defenders lacked positional awareness in transition after high-pressing the opposition leaving pockets of space, and often giving the attackers unmarked around the goal. Despite the recent upset, it is expected that the lineup will undergo shuffling, with the manager keen to find his best possible eleven, some key players are expected to retain their spots in the lineup, mixed with some new faces.
Chelsea vs Club America – Key Players
Renato Veiga
The 21-year-old dynamic midfielder from FC Basel made his debut, securing initial minutes for his new club, following his cameo appearance as a substitute against the Celtics in the latter part of the second half. Veiga, who came on to replace Levil Colwill and dropped back at the left side of the defence.
The Portuguese Under-21 international displayed a solid outing, intercepting passes, winning possession, putting in timely tackles and blocks. Additionally, he was calm on the ball and showed much confidence in ball progression and keeping the ball. With just 10 minutes of play, he has surely impressed the fans and manager and might get more minutes against Club America and in the upcoming fixtures.
Henry Martin
Club America skipper Henry Martin started the 2024-25 domestic campaign campaign in a dazzling manner, netting 4 goals in as many matches in the Mexican top division. Martin is a prolific striker, who played an impactful role for the Eagles over the years, and has guided the club to achieve immense domestic glory through his goal contributions.
The 31-year-old is renowned for his clinical finishing and clever movement inside the box coupled with great physicality and technical prowess. Martin possesses impeccable aerial ability and a high work rate in pressing the opposition defence— traits that will present a tough time for Chelsea defenders in guarding their post, especially when they are still adjusting to the new playing style.
Chelsea vs Club America – Predicted Lineups
Chelsea predicted lineup vs Club America: Sanchez; Adarabioyo, Badiashile, Colwill; Gusto, James, Ugochukwu, Veiga; Nkunku, Angelo Sterling.
Club America predicted lineup vs Chelsea: Malagon; Acosta, Araujo, Lichnovsky, Calderon; R.Sanchez, Dos Santos; Dilrosun, Fidalgo, E.Sanchez; Martin.
