Chelsea fended off a late Lille fightback to cement their place in the last-16 of the Champions League.
They finish as the runner-up in Group H, meaning they cannot be drawn against another English side, or group winners Valencia, so their possible opponents are PSG, Bayern Munich, Juventus, Barcelona or RB Leipzig. At first glance, it appears that Leipzig would be the favourable draw, but the side currently sitting second in the Bundesliga should not be underestimated, especially considering the form of their talisman Timo Werner in the current campaign.
Only three players in Europe, Ciro Immobile, Robert Lewandoski and Jamie Vardy have scored more than Werner’s 15 German top-flight goals, but at 23-years-old the German is significantly younger than his higher scoring counterparts. Scarily, that means he still has time to develop, and should Chelsea be drawn against his side, Frank Lampard ought to be concerned.
Leipzig have tended to deploy two strikers with Yusuff Poulesn alongside Werner, valued £58.5 (Transfermarkt), with the former holding the ball up or flicking it on to the German international in behind and so far, this season it has worked to devastating effect both domestically and in Europe.
This particular system of counter-attacking may also be particularly effective against the Blues, as it would bypass their midfield, in particular, N’Golo Kante, who is exceptional at recovering possession. Meanwhile, both Reece James and Emerson often commit themselves to attacks, which would leave plenty of space for the rapid German to get one on one with Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Giving Werner opportunities to get clear strikes on goal is a cardinal sin for defenders. In all competitions for RB Leipzig this season he has scored 20 goals in 22 games, along with a further six assists. Chelsea’s centre backs must ensure they work together to push the German out wide should they come up against him.
Ultimately at this stage in the competition, whoever Chelsea are drawn against will be a stern challenge, but underestimating Leipzig and Werner, in particular, would be a foolish mistake to make. The Bundesliga side finished as the winners of their group for a reason, and Werner is by far their most potent attacking asset.
