Bayer Leverkusen were the sacrifice this Friday when they came up against a renewed Enzo Maresca. The pre-season friendly showcased a controlled performance and a Chelsea tactical evolution that relied heavily on two names, Estavao and Cole Palmer. Let’s dive into what we saw against the Bundesliga opposition that should excite Blues fans.
Chelsea Tactical Evolution Unlocked by Estevao
Leverkusen Evidence
Against Bundesliga opposition, we saw the latest tweak in Maresca’s setup, one that appears designed to free up the creative talents of Palmer. After experimenting with him playing on the wing with a full-back and centre-back as passing options, this match saw the Englishman deployed in a tactic that was utilised by Paris Saint-Germain last term.
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PSG’s front line would often drift and switch position, making it difficult for defenders to stick to one man. That’s why they often opted for the similar profiles of Ousmane Dembele, Bradley Barcola, Desire Doue, and Kvich Kvaratskhelia over a natural striker like Goncalo Ramos.
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A look at the heat maps for both Palmer and Estavao against Leverkusen shows the duo picking up the ball in similar areas. While the Brazilian definitely has more red in the right areas, he did move into the central spaces to get on the ball at times. This allowed his teammate to move out wide and eased pressure on him.
This kind of positional switching is made possible by their talent and ability to play across the front line. It’s the kind of versatility that Maresca can use to unlock even the toughest defences, as it becomes difficult to box in one creator when a second one joins the party.
Xavi Simons Perfects The Idea
The chase for RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons is an exciting one for Blues fans as is. He is a creator who has scored goals and provided assists in both the Eredivisie and Bundesliga. His talent is obvious, as is his fit in Maresca’s system.
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Chelsea’s pre-season friendly should make fans even more excited for him to join though. A look at a heat map for the Dutch international from the previous term makes for interesting reading.
Xavi Simons 24/25 Bundesliga heat map Appearances 25
Started 25
Minutes per game 86
Total minutes played 2157 pic.twitter.com/MKkjStytWg
— Toby mullen (@Tobymullen1) July 22, 2025
The attacker played a lot as a left winger but moved all across the front line, particularly the centre, but also popped up on the right. There is a chance that the ideal Blues’ eleven in the upcoming campaign will feature all three of Simons, Palmer, and Estevao switching positions behind the striker to confuse defenders.
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It’s the kind of movement that not only will free up the English talisman but will also ensure that his new colleagues can operate in space instead of being boxed out of matches in a highly physical league.
This latest tactical tweak from Maresca could just be the one that takes his team to the very top. It became too easy to stop his side last season until he changed the hand and put Marc Cucurella and Enzo Fernandez as box crashers. Adding those box-crashing abilities to a fluid attacking trio and either the bullish Liam Delap or the fluid Joao Pedro up front should make them one of the most dangerous attacks in all of Europe.