Garnacho fails debut for Chelsea: how the team nearly got knocked out by a third-tier club.

According to The Sun: Head coach Enzo Maresca probably didn't expect his Chelsea team to advance in the Carabao Cup after a tough game.

Chelsea barely defeated Lincoln City in the third round, especially during a weak first half.

alt='Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho walks off after being substituted during the Carabao Cup match against Lincoln City.' class='alignnone size-thesun-article-image wp-image-36815117' width='960' height='657' /> Reuters

Lincoln's player, Rob Street, opened the scoring, but Tyrique George and Facundo Buonanotte quickly put Chelsea back in the lead.

Though the evening promised to be calm, in reality, the club world champions had to urgently regroup defensively.

The match at Sincil Bank was supposed to be an opportunity to recover after recent defeats to Bayer Munich and Manchester United.

Garnacho has a tough debut

Before the match, many were looking at Alejandro Garnacho, who got his first start after moving from Manchester United.

This game turned out to be challenging for the Argentine, as he faced an active game from opponents in League One.

More was expected from him, but he couldn't significantly impact the game. Garnacho tried to make his mark on both flanks, but often became a target for fouls and was eventually substituted just minutes before the hour mark.

Nothing good for Garnacho, although he disagrees with that, as he wasn't the only one who didn't meet expectations.

George and Buonanotte ignite the game

While many big names failed to impress, two young players from the team shone in the second half.

George, a youth academy product who nearly transferred to Roma this summer, scored a brilliant goal to equalize early in the second half.

Later, Facundo Buonanotte, who is on loan from Brighton, marked his first goal for the club, putting Chelsea ahead.

alt='Facundo Buonanotte of Chelsea celebrates scoring a goal and jumping in the air.' class='alignnone size-thesun-article-image wp-image-36815111' width='960' height='640' /> Alamy alt='Tyrique George of Chelsea celebrates scoring.' class='alignnone size-thesun-article-image wp-image-36815113' width='960' height='673' /> Getty

Defensive issues cause concern

The biggest concerns for Maresca remain defensive problems that showed insecurity.

Despite having strong defenders like Fofana and Gusto, the team struggled to respond to Lincoln's attacks, which actively utilized long throws and crosses.

Goalkeeper Jorgensen also didn't perform at his best, making several simple errors.

Chelsea can breathe a sigh of relief as Robert Sanchez's red card did not result in a three-match suspension.

Even towards the end of the match, Lincoln created dangerous moments that required decisive action from the defense.

Chelsea's defenders looked uncertain against a lower league opponent, but it is important that the team advanced.

alt='Chelsea goalkeeper Filip Joergensen fails to intercept a cross during the Carabao Cup Third Round match.' class='alignnone size-thesun-article-image wp-image-36815115' width='960' height='629' /> Getty

Despite all the difficulties, Chelsea managed to advance in the Carabao Cup. The players will have the opportunity to strengthen their game and prepare for upcoming challenges. Coach Maresca will likely analyze his team's mistakes to improve results in future matches.

Considering the difficulties the team is facing, upcoming meetings could be crucial for improving team spirit and strengthening interactions among players.