Maresca: Chelsea defender's positional change turned game around vs Lincoln | OneFootball

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca claimed he made one tactical tweak that changed the game in the second half against Lincoln City.

Despite the poor first half, which left Chelsea a goal down against League One side Lincoln in the third round of the Carabao Cup, Maresca's side managed to secure a 2-1 win in the end.

The visitors dominated possession of the ball in both halves, but it was pretty clear that Lincoln created the better goalscoring opportunities in the first period.

This changed after the break.

The Blues turned the situation around by the 50th minute, thanks to a goal apiece by Tyrique George and Facundo Buonanotte.

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They also produced better chances overall, with four big chances in the second half compared to one in the first 45 minutes.

Interestingly, Maresca insisted that the improvements stemmed from the back, and more specifically, the positioning of Jorrel Hato.

"In the second half I think we were much better," the Italian head coach said after the game.

"At half-time we changed something tactically that I think has been important.

"Jorrel was playing in a different position compared to the first half. The structure and the shape of the team between the first half and the second half was completely different, and that probably helped a little bit."

Considering Maresca's tendency to play his full-backs in inverted roles, it was always going to take time for Hato, who joined the club from Ajax last month, to adjust.

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This was the 19-year-old's third game as a Chelsea player and his second start.

Hato made eight clearances throughout the game, while offensively, he made five passes into the final third.

Chelsea will find out their fourth round opponents on Wednesday night and will face Brighton at home in a Premier League bout this weekend.