COMMENT: Alvaro Morata's time at Chelsea has been marred by a string of poor performances which many have attributed to his lack of experience being the main striker for a top side.
He collected some great accolades at Real Madrid, but he was on the periphery of the team in those trophy laden seasons and becoming Chelsea's main number nine has proven to be a challenge for the Spain international, despite him raking up a decent tally of 10 goals and 5 assists in 19 starts for the Blues.
As Chelsea travel to the Nou Camp to do battle with Ernesto Valverde's Barcelona, Antonio Conte is faced with the options of utilising either Morata or January signing Olivier Giroud up front, and judging by both players' recent performances, Chelsea would be better off with the Frenchman leading the line.
Whilst Chelsea still have a great chance of going through to the Champions League quarter-finals, they're faced with the difficult task of having to outscore Barca on their home turf having come away with a 1-1 draw which could have easily been a 3-0 win at Stamford Bridge, hence they're in dire need of a real threat up front and Giroud appears to be the man for the job.
Giroud's arrival at Stamford Bridge sparked a lot of controversy considering his services were acquired from fierce rivals Arsenal, who were willing to let him go due to the presence of Alexandre Lacazette and speedster Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. But his displays have been nothing but positive for Chelsea as he's shown a desire and willingness to fight for the club.
Speaking on why he thinks Giroud should feature in Chelsea's upcoming Champions League tie up front former Ajax and Crystal Palace boss Frank de Boer said: "He fits much better in the system they play (than Morata).
"He's more similar to Diego Costa. He likes to work hard, making trouble with the defenders so I think you need that type of player as a forward."
De Boer went on to question Morata's lack of aggression off the ball and said it's a "normal choice now to start Giroud."
While Giroud's lack of agility prevents him continuously from moving into different channels, his strength allows him to hold the ball up brilliantly and as we've seen in games against West Brom and Crystal Palace this season, he's capable of bringing other players into play with quick one-twos – which will be key as Chelsea will need the likes of Willian and Hazard to link up with Giroud in an attempt to break Barcelona's defence down.
His ability in the air will be key for Chelsea against Barca. While Morata has scored his fair share of headers this season, Giroud is more effective in the air and can act as a focal point of Chelsea's attack due to his physicality if the team needs to swing balls into the 18-yard-area.
The 31-year-old's positional awareness will also be crucial for Chelsea against Valverde's defenders. He knows how to get into the right positions to receive a pass for a flick-on, or to take a shot on goal.
With the way Morata has squandered goalscoring opportunities this season, Conte can't afford to start him in a game with such high stakes considering one or two missed opportunities can cost Chelsea a spot in the Champions League Quarter-finals.
The second-leg tie against Barca will be Chelsea's hardest game of the season thus far, but if we've learnt anything from the Blues in the past, it's to never count them out.
Trying to sit back and defend will probably be ineffective against Barcelona at the Nou Camp, hence Conte will have to set his side up to play a more expansive style than they did in the first leg – Giroud's presence on the pitch will enable the frontline to find gaps in Barca's defence thanks to his superb link-up play.
The Frenchman is eager to prove that he didn't come to Chelsea just to watch the team from the dugout - he's keen on proving his worth to the club's fans – it's the perfect game for him to do so. But it's up to Conte to utilise him ahead of their big money signing, Alvaro Morata.
