Chelsea’s pre-season woes continued as head coach Enzo Maresca led the Blues in a friendly against Celtic at Notre Dame Stadium in Indiana. The team aimed to rebound from a 2-2 draw against League One side Wrexham, but instead faced a severe 4-1 defeat at the hands of the Scottish champions. Maresca attributed the loss to the disparity in physical preparation between the two teams, with Celtic already having played five friendlies.
Analysis of the Match
Speaking to the club’s media, Maresca emphasized the importance of analyzing the game beyond the result. “The result is always important, but at this moment, we need to analyze the game in general. On the ball, the team was ten times better than we were against Wrexham because we could see the number of chances we had in the first half and the second half. Off the ball, for sure, we need to improve things. Sometimes we are confused when we need to play short and when we need to play a little bit longer, but that is part of the process,” he said.
Physical Conditioning Disparity
Maresca pointed out the clear difference in physical conditioning between Chelsea and Celtic. “For me, it is important to realize the difference between us and them in physical conditioning. You can see they had already played four games in pre-season and they are starting their official season very soon. Whereas for us, we struggled a little bit physically,” Maresca explained. He further noted, “The biggest difference between us and them was the physical condition. It is very clear they are ready to start [their league season] and we have just had our second [pre-season] game and some of our players have only played 45 minutes so the difference was huge.”
Tactical and Performance Issues
Apart from physical conditioning, Maresca acknowledged several key issues in Chelsea’s performance. “For sure, we need to improve many things off the ball. One of the things we did badly today was maintaining a high line when the ball was not under pressure, which required us to drop back. We are still confusing some things on the ball and off the ball. It is normal at this moment when we are trying to do something new, but game-by-game and training session after training session, we are going to be ready for the start of the Premier League season,” Maresca stated.
Looking Ahead
Chelsea’s next challenge is against Club America on Wednesday, July 31 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Maresca expects another mismatch in terms of physical preparations, as the Mexican side is already in the middle of their regular season in the Liga MX Apertura. However, he remains hopeful for a better performance from his squad.
Maresca’s candid assessment highlights the significant challenges Chelsea faces in their pre-season preparations. With limited time to bridge the gap in physical conditioning and address tactical issues, the team must rapidly adapt to avoid similar outcomes in future matches. The upcoming game against Club America will be another test of their progress and readiness for the Premier League season.
