European Scout Notes – Wednesday

An emphatic win for Chelsea books their place in the Champions League knock-out stages, while a defeat for Manchester United ends up doing little to hamper their own hopes of European progress.

Crucially, both managers are able to rotate their squads as the packed pre-Christmas schedule looms ever larger.

Here are the notes from Wednesday’s continental action.

Chelsea cruise mostly good news

Chelsea’s 4-0 win over Qarabag in Azerbaijan ticked many a Fantasy box, if not all.

Key asset Alvaro Morata, at 24.1% the most owned Fantasy Premier League player in the Blues squad, spent much of the match on the bench, only coming on for Eden Hazard after 65 minutes.

That will have pleased the 131,000+ managers who have bought the Spanish striker this week, making him the third most transferred-in player ahead of Gameweek 13.

The in-form Hazard, meanwhile, shone in a front three that also included Pedro and Willian, opening the scoring from the penalty spot before setting up Chelsea’s second goal.

That was scored by Willian, who ended up with a brace of both goals and assists. The Brazilian was twice fouled in the penalty area – Cesc Fabregas dispatched the second spot-kick with Hazard already replaced – and rounded off the scoring with a rasping drive from the edge of the box, Pedro providing the assist.

The win confirmed Chelsea’s progress into the Champions League knock-out stages with a match to spare, but coach Antonio Conte won’t have the luxury of making wholesale changes for the final fixture – if he wants his team to win the group, that is.

The Blues will likely need a draw at home to Atletico Madrid to top Group C, meaning Conte may choose to manage his squad for the two matches – at home to Newcastle and away at West Ham – that bookend the early December decider.

Rotation, in fact, played a part last night, with regular starters Marcos Alonso and N’Golo Kante replaced after 58 and 75 minutes respectively, while young defender Andreas Christensen was an unused sub.

The Danish international has started the last two league matches, providing 13 points from two clean sheets for his 0.5% ownership. Priced at just 5.4, he is the cheapest route into a defence that’s conceded only two goals in four matches – should Conte continue to pick him for domestic duties.

The coach’s pre-match comments suggested that he will.

“In every game I have to try to make the best decision for the team and I think in this situation Christensen deserves to play. Christensen is playing very well, but we have to play a lot of games – we play every three days – and I need all the players.”

David Luiz, still owned by 11.9% of FPL managers despite making way for Christensen for the last two Gameweeks, replaced the Dane last night, suggesting the roles will be reversed come Saturday evening’s vital trip to Liverpool.

Defeat no great loss for United

Things, on the face of it, were rather less satisfactory for Man United.

Needing just a point in Basel to confirm top spot in Group A, Jose Mourinho’s men failed to turn first-half superiority into goals and then succumbed to a late strike from the Swiss that kept their own qualification hopes very much alive.

United will now host CSKA Moscow in early December – a match sandwiched between a trip to Arsenal and the Manchester derby – with the group seemingly still finely poised.

In reality, however, the Russians will have to win the fixture by seven goals to deny United progress to the knock-out stages and Mourinho will surely rotate as a result.

The coach certainly mixed and matched last night, making seven changes from the side that beat Newcastle at the weekend.

One notable player retained from that 4-1 win was Paul Pogba.

The Frenchman’s explosive Gameweek 12 return from injury, involving a goal, an assist and two bonus for 12 points, has prompted a surge in sales, with more than a quarter of a million new managers making him the most popular pick of the week.

His 13.8% ownership might not have been overly pleased to see their man back in action for the second time in five days, but he survived intact and was again the driving force as United dominated their defensive hosts through to the interval.

That they reached half-time still goalless was down to the profligacy of Romelu Lukaku, who spurned both a one-on-one with the keeper and a free header, and the woodwork, which was hit twice.

A Marouane Fellaini header brushed the outside of the post before a Marcos Rojo long-range effort was deflected onto the crossbar as the half ended.

Pogba’s withdrawal after 66 minutes both dampened United’s attacking impetus and encouraged the Swiss to be more expansive, with their late winner reward for a markedly improved second-half showing.

Mourinho’s selections provided a few clues as to the likely line-up when Brighton visit on Saturday.

Marcus Rashford (9.0%) was dropped to the bench before replacing Jesse Lingard in the 64th minute, while David de Gea, Ashley Young and Juan Mata didn’t even make the squad.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan was another left out completely – the second time in a week the Armenian has been snubbed by Mourinho and a key reason why he has been sold by more than 110,000 managers ahead of Gameweek 13.

The main question remains the make-up of the centre of defence.

Rojo returned from injury and formed a solid partnership with Chris Smalling. Both are priced at 5.4 and could well be back in action on Saturday, with Phil Jones already ruled out by his manager earlier in the week and Eric Bailly still doubtful.

The alternative is Victor Lindelof, who was on the bench last night, partnering Smalling as he did last weekend, although the Swede is yet to turn in a truly convincing performance in his rare league outings.

At present, the safest option appears to be Smalling, who has started the last six matches in the league, though there is clear uncertainty in the back four, promoting De Gea’s stock in goal.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic, meanwhile, continued his own recovery from injury with a 26-minute cameo in place of the industrious Anthony Martial, though Lukaku – the only FPL forward to have played every minute of the league season – was again afforded the full 90 minutes by his manager.