Chelsea: Kalidou Koulibaly delivers well timed reminder to the Blues
It wasn’t simply Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s Champions League choice that was important for Graham Potter. He too had to decide on which of his many January signings to disappoint and miss as effectively.
Not all of Chelsea’s additions in January might be included as there have been solely three slots out there for contemporary faces.
And it got here as no shock that attackers Joao Félix and Mykhailo Mudryk, plus British report purchase Enzo Fernández, have been on the entrance of the queue, leaving £35m centre-back Benoit Badiashile as one of many gamers to remain. outdoors.
Given the juggling act Potter needed to pull off to make the numbers work, it got here as no shock that Badiashile was handed over for all three of Chelsea’s winter arrivals.
However that didn’t imply it was a hopeless selection.
Kalidou Koulibaly (proper) despatched Chelsea a well timed reminder of his qualities in Dortmund
Graham Potter needed to depart Benoit Badiashile (left) out of his Champions League squad
Younger Frenchman Badiashile settled in easily at Chelsea, retaining three clear sheets in his first 4 video games, rapidly forming a partnership with the eternal Thiago Silva and serving to to carry a component of calm to the Chelsea protection in low-key style.
However with out him, and Wesley Fofana simply match sufficient for a spot on the bench alongside Trevoh Chalobah, Koulibaly was remembered, a way more skilled participant than that youthful trio however one who hasn’t been capable of make the identical influence within the center. again than Chelsea. the latest addition to the middle again specifically.
In opposition to Borussia Dortmund, nonetheless, he assuaged any considerations there might need been about Badiashile’s absence with a powerful and composed show in a busy and at occasions heated spherical of 16 first leg.
This was rather more like what Chelsea had anticipated once they paid Napoli £34m to signal a defender who had been heralded as among the best in Europe for a number of years previous to his arrival at Stamford Bridge.
He hasn’t fairly lived as much as that billing thus far, however he arguably produced his greatest efficiency in blue but in opposition to Dortmund.
There have been numerous essential and completely timed contributions from Koulibaly, who was vigilant and up entrance of their protection all through the evening, repeatedly anticipating and eradicating hazard.
In his first begin in additional than a month, he carried out like a person with some extent to show and decided to make it with out letting any Dortmund opponent get the higher of him.
He additionally got here the closest to scoring for Chelsea than anybody when Emre Can parried his shot within the second half.
Like his companion at middle again on the evening Silva, Koulibaly didn’t deserve to finish the evening on the shedding aspect.
Koulibaly has discovered himself behind Badiashile within the league however excelled in Germany
Karim Adeyemi scored the one aim of the sport to offer Dortmund a valuable first lead, for instance.
Neither Koulibaly (left) nor fellow centre-back Thiago Silva (proper) deserved to be on the shedding aspect
Such a efficiency from the Senegal captain got here at an excellent time. After spending nearly £600m on their first two home windows, Chelsea’s new house owners intend to proceed their aggressive recruiting method. That can have an effect on each inputs and outputs.
In the identical manner {that a} fast choice was made on Aubameyang, who they’re keen to mercilessly dump after solely half a season, they’re already ready the place they might be open to presents for Koulibaly as effectively.
Chelsea stay excited by one other left centre-back, Croatian World Cup star Josko Gvardiol, together with Manchester Metropolis and so they even have the extremely rated Levi Colwill to return from mortgage in the summertime.
Whereas all of that’s for the longer term, in Germany Koulibaly supplied a reminder of his pedigree and high quality and the way he can nonetheless contribute now within the the rest of Chelsea’s Champions League marketing campaign.
