How Manchester United can beat Chelsea tactically by exploiting their weakness

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Ole has now been at the Manchester United wheel for over 18 months and there have been plenty of ups and downs in that time.

One trend that has remained consistent, though, is the Norway international remarkable record against Chelsea. He’s faced the Blues five times and is yet to be defeated, winning four games and drawing one.

Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final will be the fourth meeting between the sides this season and Ole is currently on three wins from three in his head-to-head against Frank Lampard.

Each victory came at very different points in the season – the opening day (over 11 months ago), at the end of October and in the middle of February – although Ole used a similar tactical blueprint in all three matches.

United played a counter-attacking, containment style on each occasion. They were happy to let Chelsea have plenty of possession, before trying to dispossess them in dangerous areas and hit them on the counter-attack.

Set-pieces have also played a big role in the victories. Of the eight goals United have scored across the three matches, two have been penalties, one has been a direct free-kick and another came from a corner.

Ole’s blueprint has managed to exploit Chelsea’s three main weaknesses: their defensive vulnerability both from counter attacks and set-pieces, along with their wastefulness in converting opportunities.

There has been a degree of fortune along the way, including Harry Maguire escaping a direct red card in the second league game and Chelsea also having two goals chalked off that night. On the opening weekend they ruthlessly exploited the opposition’s fragility and their two triumphs at Stamford Bridge came without a host of star players.

This will be the first meeting for which Fernandes and Pogba are both available and this could influence United’s approach. Ole will look to strike a balance between employing a game plan that has already worked this season and making use of new combinations involving Pogba and Fernandes.

If the two midfielders start as expected, Nemanja Matic will probably be the third man in the engine room despite the fact both Fred and Scott McTominay played well in their previous appearances against the Blues this term.

This will also be the first clash with Chelsea that Mason Greenwood is expected to start, which adds an extra weapon in attack.

There is little doubt that Chelsea’s primary vulnerability is at the back. Lampard’s side have shipped 49 goals so far in the Premier League this campaign – more than any other club in the top half of the table and four more than Crystal Palace, who languish in 14th.

It is the club’s worst defensive record in the top-flight since 1996/97 and they are notably weak when defending transition phases after losing the ball. That is exactly what this United side are tailor-made to exploit, with Ole no doubt plotting sharp, incisive counters against a team out of their defensive shape.

It is probably fair to say that Chelsea are the Premier League side most similar to United in terms of current ability and potential. Both fall short of the squads possessed by Liverpool and Manchester City yet both are capable of prolonged runs of good form and can beat any side in the division on their day.

However, United’s strengths coincide with how Lampard’s side can be exploited and this has proved the difference in their individual meetings this season. A concern for the Reds is that Chelsea will have had much more rest ahead of Sunday’s showdown. The Londoners last played on Tuesday, two days prior to United’s clash with Crystal Palace. Ole will be tested in that regard.

However, United could be even more ambitious in this fixture given the players available to Ole.

Lampard will no doubt have learned lessons from his side’s three previous defeats, but United know exactly how they can hurt Chelsea.

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