Why Enzo Maresca is so keen for Chelsea to finish top 8 in Champions League | OneFootball

Chelsea are in the thick of their Champions League league stage battle right now, and their main objective has to be to qualify to the knockouts.

It was pointed out to Enzo Maresca last night that there was an added benefit to finishing in the top 8 – you miss the extra double header playoff game at the turn of the year.

Chelsea aim to avoid mid season Champions League playoff

Pedro Neto in action against Benfica. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

He agreed this was something he was considering. Two games at that stage of the year is a disaster if we’re forced to play them:

“Yes, absolutely. First of all, the target is to continue the next stage, but if we are able to finish top [eight], that is very good for us. Now we have six more games.”

The priority is just to dig ourselves out of the hole we had by losing our first game of the competition away in Munich. But that’s likely our hardest game done, and a win last night was vital.

Maresca praises backup boys for getting 3 points

Another topic of conversation was the players who had been rotated in because of the injuries and the serious fixture pile up. It wasn’t pretty at times, but the backup crew of Alejandro Garnacho, Facundo Buonanotte and Tyrique George (alongside the outstanding first teamer Pedro Neto) got the job done.

“Tonight we started with Garnacho, that probably was the first game that he started. Ty is a No.9, and we know that he’s not a No.9. Facu Buonanotte played an important role tonight. That’s why for me tonight it’s a nice feeling that it was important to win for different reasons. Injuries and the players that they are new with us.

“Garna was very good. I think [Jamie] Gittens also, he tried in the last 20 minutes when he was on. Both are going to be better and better game after game.”