Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca believes his team can learn from their 3-1 defeat to Bayern Munich and build ‘something special’ in the Champions League this season.
Chelsea’s 3-1 loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League may have been a setback, but head coach Enzo Maresca sees it as an opportunity for his team to learn and grow. Despite the defeat, Maresca believes his team showed promising signs and can use the experience to build something special in the competition.
“I think the players were already aware of how difficult this competition is,” Maresca reflected. “You cannot make mistakes in the way we did, but it is a game that I think we can learn a lot from and build something special from this defeat.”
The match against Bayern Munich was a tough test for Chelsea, with several players making their Champions League debuts. However, Maresca’s team showed flashes of brilliance, including Cole Palmer’s excellent goal on his 100th Blues appearance. Despite ultimately losing the match, Maresca believes the experience will benefit his team in the long run.
Maresca highlighted the difference in experience between Chelsea and Bayern Munich, but he was impressed by the way his team competed against the German champions. “In terms of experience, between them and us, I think there was a huge difference,” Maresca said. “Whether it is because of the games they have played in the Champions League or because of the age, it does not matter. But in Munich no doubt we showed that we can compete right away.”
The Italian coach knows firsthand how difficult it is to compete in the Champions League, having worked with Sevilla and Manchester City in the past. “I played in this stadium in this competition when I was assistant coach with Sevilla and Man City, so I know how difficult it is to come here and compete,” Maresca said. “You cannot expect to come to this stadium against this team and try to dominate and control the game for 95 minutes.”
Despite the defeat, Maresca saw positive signs from his team, particularly in the way they competed against Bayern Munich. “The way we competed for part of the game, we were very good,” Maresca said. “The mistakes we made are something we can learn from, and I have the feeling that we can build something special from this defeat.”
Chelsea has seven remaining matches in the Champions League, and Maresca believes there are plenty of points left to be won. The team’s next match is against Benfica at Stamford Bridge, and Maresca will be looking to his team to build on the lessons learned from the Bayern Munich match.
