Three decisions for Lampard as Chelsea face Bayern clash

Chelsea manr Frank Lampard faces some big decisions ahead of Bayern Munich's visit to Stamford Bridge in Champions League last 16 first leg on Tuesday. Here are three major calls Lampard must get right if Chelsea are to take a step towards quarter-finals: 

Keep faith with Giroud?

Having spent much of season in exile, Olivier Giroud was back with a bang as he scored opening goal against Tottenham on Saturday in his first Premier League start since vember. France striker had been reduced to fringe status by Lampard's decision to give talented youngster Tammy Abraham his opportunity, but an injury to England international and ineffective form of Michy Batshuayi gave Giroud a second chance. He made most of it with a lethal first-half finish in vital 2-1 win over Tottenham, producing a combative performance that might have given Lampard food for thought.

Giroud's second club goal of season and his first in Premier League since April underlined threat posed by 33-year-old's physical style and clever movement. w Lampard must decide if Giroud, whose lack of match action meant he could only last 70 minutes against Tottenham, is capable of repeating that display against Bayern. Chelsea, who have struggled to find a cutting edge for much of season in home games, certainly looked more dynamic with Giroud leading line en route to ir first win in five league matches. And in back of his mind, Lampard will kw Abraham, who came off bench to replace Giroud, might be running out of steam with only one goal in 2020 and has just two in his last 10 games.

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Retain defensive system?

Jose Mourinho's cheeky pre-match claim that Lampard would return to five-man defence he had employed against Tottenham earlier this season proved correct on Saturday. w Chelsea boss must be tempted to deploy same system against Bayern. Despite his kwledge that Lampard would use Cesar Azpilicueta, Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger as his center-backs, with Reece James and Marcos Alonso bombing forward as wing-backs, Mourinho had answer to effective formation.

tactics gave Chelsea a more solid look at back and freed James and Alonso to join attack, allowing m to overload ir opponents in wide areas, a scheme perfectly illustrated when ball was worked from right to left for Alonso to fire home from 20 yards. It was Spanish left-back's first start since December after he spending much of season behind Emerson and even Azpilicueta, usually a right-back or centre-back, in Lampard's pecking order. Lampard has twice out-witted Mourinho with formation this season and, given Chelsea have often looked creaky at back this season, it would be surprise if he relied on that security blanket again to subdue German champions.

Let Barkley run wild?

Like Giroud and Alonso, Ross Barkley had endured a frustrating campaign that suddenly offers hope of a rewarding finale after his influential display against Tottenham. Liverpool-born Barkley has never looked comfortable among Chelsea's cosmopolitan squad since arriving from Everton in January 2018 and a series of diffident performances had raised questions about midfielder's long-term future with club. promise shown by Barkley as a youngster at Everton seemed a lifetime ago as he laboured to make an impact in west London, but Lampard might have found a way to unlock his potential at last.

Using 26-year-old on left side of Chelsea's attack on Saturday unchained Barkley from any defensive responsibility, giving him freedom to roam and take up positions that could hurt Tottenham. He did just that with assist for Alonso's goal by moving into a central position that took him away from any potential markers. With Brazilian winger Willian rested after being used as substitute against Tottenham, Lampard will have to decide wher Barkley, who has raised eyebrows with some off-field antics since joining Chelsea, can be trusted to repeat that kind of mature show against Bayern.

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(Im Courtesy: AP)