Chelsea Struggle with Defensive Issues in Loss to Real Madrid

Chelsea exhibited further defensive weaknesses as they fell 2-1 to Real Madrid in the final game of their US tour in Charlotte, BBC reported. Enzo Maresca's side conceded two first-half goals from Real Madrid's Dani Ceballos and Brahim Diaz, and could only muster a single response with Noni Madueke’s header.

Throughout the pre-season, Chelsea's defense has been under scrutiny, allowing a troubling 12 goals in five games and securing only one win. These vulnerabilities were exemplified when Ceballos finished from a deflected Lucas Vazquez shot in the 19th minute, and Diaz extended the lead eight minutes later, capitalizing against new goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen.

Enzo Maresca, addressing a pressing issue of high defensive lines from the preceding season under manager Mauricio Pochettino, stated, "One of my first meetings with the squad focused on the high number of goals conceded last year due to the defensive line being very high. We are attempting to drop the line by around four or five meters to gain some advantage." Despite promising tweaks, defensive habits seem hard to break.

In contrast, Real Madrid managed their success even with key absences including Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe. Vinicius Jr. demonstrated impressive performance, providing several goal opportunities, and reinforcing his impactful presence on the team.

Chelsea's defense concerns not only stem from attitudes but also miscoordination and lack of aggressive pressing, noted Maresca, further affected by a packed match schedule limiting tactical training. The team will round off their pre-season with a fixture against Inter Milan before facing defending champions Manchester City in the Premier League opener on August 18.

Compounding Chelsea's struggles, their squad shows a significant dependency on young, less experienced forwards like Marc Guiu and lacks sufficient seasoned strikers. This lack of depth could see them struggling against top-tier champions unless potential signings, like Atletico Madrid’s Samu Omoredion and Napoli's Victor Osimhen, strengthen their squad in time.

Read also: Gallagher Joins Atletico Madrid for £33m.