Chelsea manager Frank Lampard is concerned about how quickly his team can bounce back after being mauled by Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League Last 16 tie. The Blues have it all to do after a humiliating 3-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge, with Lampard calling the result a reality check for his young side.
Serge Gnabry scored a quick-fire double shortly after half-time and Robert Lewandowski also got on the scoresheet to put the Bavarian outfit in control.
Lampard has called on his side to make smarter choices during matches, and hopes his players are not shell-shocked against upcoming opponents.
Speaking to BT Sport after the final whistle, Lampard said: “The performance was poor and sometimes you have to be brutally honest.
“They outclassed us in every department and it’s quite sobering. The level of team they are is why they challenge in the Bundesliga and Europe year in year out.
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“I’m disappointed we couldn’t do more against them. We have to take it on the chin and work towards getting back to the levels we want to be at.
“If you look at the choice of passes they make, our choices have to improve.
“If our players have a bit about them, which i think they do, they will look at who they were playing against and the level they need to work to.
“We will always play with pride but I’m more concerned about the bigger picture. How quickly can we recover for the Premier League and how quickly can we get to the level?”
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Chelsea face Bournemouth at the weekend then Liverpool in the FA Cup fifth round on Tuesday before Premier League matches against Everton and Aston Villa ahead of the return leg next month.
And Lampard will be hoping for a reaction from his players in the intervening games before the Blues make the trip to the Allianz Arena.
Marcos Alonso will be suspended for the second leg of the tie after being sent off for swinging an arm at Lewandowski, while Lampard also suggested he could make some significant changes to his starting XI with Jorginho also banned.
Former Chelsea and Scotland winger Pat Nevin highlighted the gulf in class between the two sides, saying on BBC Radio 5 Live: “Bayern have got what it takes to go all the way.
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“But if I put them up against Liverpool I’d still fancy Liverpool. Chelsea were murdered in that game, by a team that is just miles better than them.
“The midfield of Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic were just out-classed in the second half.
“Munich were just efficient and clinical. They were stunning.”
Ex-Blues frontman Chris Sutton was less sympathetic, suggesting Chelsea were lucky to escape with just a 3-0 defeat.
The BBC Radio 5 Live pundit said: “It was an absolute mauling for Chelsea.
“We can sit here and pick the bones out of Chelsea but Bayern were so good.
“Manuel Neuer wasn’t worked in the second half and the 3-0 scoreline flatters Chelsea.”
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