Apologies for the delayed post, but it must be said that in last week’ pulsating Internazionale – Chelsea first leg match, Jose Mourinho outwitted and outmanaged his former club’s boss, and the self-anointed Special One’s unparalleled tactical acumen may very well hand Chelsea an early Champions League exit.

Oh how the Chelsea faithful rue the day this man was let go. Worst. Decision. Ever.

Fifty five minutes played, your team retakes the lead 2-1 after allowing an early second half equalizer.  As a manager, how can you seal this precious first leg win?  Most would take off a striker and put in a defensive-minded midfielder to shore up the dangerous Chelsea attack.  Not Jose Mourinho.  Certainly Mourinho has employed the aforementioned tactical change, he did it often in his time at Stamford Bridge.  But on the biggest stage and knowing such a predictable substitution would bring little protection of the lead, Mourinho rebuffed such a stale, tired move and sent on Mario Balotelli, the young attacking stud of Italian soccer.  This bold move changed the flow of the match, and for more than 20 minutes the young Italian of Ghanaian descent pressed and probed, forcing the makeshift Chelsea defense back on their heels, and stifling any Chelsea attempt for a second away goal.

It is this type of tactical brilliance that separates Mourinho and makes him a great manager.  Balotelli’s introduction negated Carlo Ancelotti’s questionable move to start Florent Malouda at left-back and forced the Frenchman to retreat into defense for the last half hour of the match.  It is a risk to shift from a diamond formation to 4-3-3 after taking the lead in a match, but it is a risk that Mourinho is willing to make to step on the throat of any opposing side, even if it is his cherished Chelsea.

Ancelotti was appointed manager for one reason:  to win the Champions League.  And one should not question a manager that has claimed two European Cups over the past decade, and two as a player to boot.  But last Wednesday, Ancelotti was simply outcoached.  Losing a player of Ashley Cole’s caliber is a severe blow to any club, but the manner in which such setbacks are handled is how to scrutinize a coach’s performance, and the decision to start Florent Malouda in an unfamiliar role is open to such scrutiny.  Perhaps Ancelotti was hoping to expoit Mourinho’s narrow diamond, but Malouda was often times out of position defensively and when Balotelli came on it was game over.  Malouda simply could not handle him and it changed the match.  Starting him is debatable, but not countering Mourinho’s move and bringing on a Paolo Ferriera or moving Ivanovic to left-back and then bringing Malouda up into attack was surprising and poor.

Another example of poor management is Ancelotti’s insistence on bringing on Daniel Sturridge.  The former Manchester City striker is much too young for such a huge stage as a knockout round match against one of the world’s best clubs.  It seems every time Sturridge is brought on he loses the ball time and again, cannot take on defenders and is clueless on his role in the 4-3-3.  There is no argument for bringing on a center-forward to play on the wing when Joe Cole is on the bench.  If Ancelotti isn’t going to start Cole (which is ridiculous in itself) then he needs to start employing him in a super-sub role -  a guy who can change a game with a flash of brilliance.

Further, Chelsea simply didn’t play the ball out wide enough to expose Mourinho’s defensive diamond.  Inter allowed Chelsea to play their game knowing that if their talented back four could stay cohesive and not be stretched to the flanks, they could absorb Chelsea’s attacks down the middle.  This strategy worked to perfection because of the formational discipline Mourinho instills in all of his teams, but also because Ancelotti clearly did not stress enough to his team to play the ball wide at every opportunity to open up running lanes for the likes of Drogba, Lampard and Ballack to exploit.

Round one of this managerial rivalry has gone to Mr. Mourinho, and unless Ancelotti uses his substitutions more wisely and instills some Mourinho-esque discipline to ensure Chelsea keep their formational shape, Inter will advance.  The emotion of Mourinho’s return to London will only fuel the Portuguese all the more, while his three-match domestic touchline ban will ensure that his mind is focused on this match and this match only, spelling doom for the Stamford Bridge faithul who still begrudgingly sing his name.