Pep will play his strongest team on Tuesday and then again on the weekend. He has been preparing them for this twofer for the past few weeks, which is why players have been getting rotated and rested for 30 mins.
I just want to confirm...Stones removal against Palace was tactical, right? Was a strange substitution given Silva and KDB have been busting balls for the whole season and could have done with a rest. Surely, Stones doesn't need a rest?! Just hope he doesn't have a niggle, or that if he did, it's sorted.
Anyway, I suspect Shaktar to play the way most teams play in Europe when they are away. They will be solid defensively and try to break with speed when we are exposed.
We absolutely CANNOT afford to lose at home, and especially not to Shaktar. If we do, we will have lost to the team topping the group, having beaten Napoli and then us away. That is a very, very strong position in this group, especially with two games against Feyenooed, who appear to be the group punching bag. That's 12 points for them virtually in the bag! And, given Napoli will probably spank Feyenoord, we will be on level terms with them, but having lost at home. We absolutely do NOT want this group to come down to one of us or Napoli!!
Again....We CANNOT lose at home to Shaktar!!!
Win our games at home and we are through! Feyenoord will get a point from somewhere, so 12 pts will do it. Winning this game puts us in prime position on 6 points, with (probably) Shaktar on 3 and Napoli on 3, with Shaktar ahead of them on head to head. Shaktar will play an 11 man defence, if necessary, away at Napoli to get a point and then that gives them the head to head victory against them. We have to do our damnedest not to get into a three way competition with those two and take care of our own business. With the next two games at home, with our Feyenoord (H) chaser down the road, we should have qualified before we ever play them, with that game being for the Top Spot in the group.
It is in our hands, and this is what Pep was brought here for. He will absolutely play his best team to win, because this game is, IMHO, FAR more important that Chelsea on the weekend!! Yes...FAR MORE IMPORTANT!!