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| 1. RAMIRES - MC | 8.9 |
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Minutes played90
Touches67
Passes45/54
Key Passes2
Succ. dribbles2
Shots2**/2
Succ. tackles3
Fouls3
One could make the argument that there were roughly 2-4 candidates who could've easily been voted as your man of the match from Tuesday's romp over Steaua Bucharest. And scoring two goals is as good of a way as any to win said vote.
On his 2013 Champions League debut, having served his suspension for the Super Cup red card, Ramires did just that. He was in the right place at the right time to poke home Eto'o's mishit in the 19th minute and he showed off surprising power when he slammed home Chelsea's third in the 55th minute after some lovely buildup play.
He did the usual Ramires things the rest of the match, letting Lampard sit deeper and distribute (14/15 long passing from the Vice Captain) while he ran about harrying and hassling. Few can match Ramires at his all-action best.
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| 2. ANDRE SCHURRLE - AML | 8.9 |
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Minutes played90
Touches92
Passes50/60
Key Passes3
Shots2/5
Succ. dribbles10
Lost ball2
Succ. tackles3
One person for whom Steaua had even less of an answer than Ramires was Schürrle. We were led to believe that their right back Daniel Georgievski was a professional football player, but on account of his showing on Tuesday, you or I may be in with a shout if they were to hold open tryouts.
Some of Schürrle's individual stats are just outrageous. 92 touches to lead the team are playmaking Juan Mata level, except this is Schürrle and Schürrle is far more direct. 10 successful dribbles/take-ons is mind boggling. And he could've easily had a few more had Eto'o, bafflingly, not passed up easy/obvious passes to the winger on at least a couple occasions.
While he failed to pick up any goals (let's work on that finishing, André!) or official assists, Schürrle's overall play was without question his best yet for Chelsea and easily one of the best attacking performances for any Chelsea player so far this season.
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| 3. JUAN MATA - AMC/AMR | 7.9 |
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Minutes played80
Touches72
Passes57/64
Key passes6
Shots1/2
Clearances1/1
Since coming back into the lineup after the public challenge from Mourino, Mata has been one of Chelsea's best players over the last three matches. Not that we ever expected any different. In this one, he even did Oscar's job for a while as the Brazilian had himself a first half to forget and forget quickly.
Mata has been so effective in fact that the media dropped the whole Mourinho-Mata narrative faster than I got rid of the desire to figure out an appropriate, yet funny analogy to finish this line.
As the "senior" member of Chelsea's attacking midfield corps (weird; awesome), Mata has shown the maturity, drive, and desire to adapt to whatever Mourinho's asking of him and it's been a welcome, if unexpected development, as José's vision of a new Chelsea starts to truly emerge.
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OTHERS:
Cech (7.5), Cole (6.7), Terry (7.2), David Luiz (7.5), Ivanovic (7.2), Lampard (7.3), Oscar (7.1), Torres (5.6)
SUBS:
Eto'o (6.4), Azpilicueta (6.2), Willian (6.3)