After a dramatic 2-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain in midweek, Chelseabooked their place in the Champions League semi finals where they will face Atletico Madrid over two legs.
Jose Mourinho masterminded an emphatic comeback at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night after trailing 3-1 from their first meeting with the French champions six days earlier. Friday’s draw has paired the Blues with the current La Liga leaders, who conquered fellow Spanish giants Barcelona with a 1-0 win at the Estadio Vincente Calderon that followed a 1-1 draw at the Nou Camp the week before. The Premier League side will go into the tie as slight favourites, given the superior experience of their players and coaching staff at this stage in the competition. With just two games standing between them and a place in the final against either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich, the Europa League champions will believe that they possess all the qualities necessary to go on and lift the trophy for the second time in three seasons. FIVE reasons why Chelsea can win the Champions League! 1. Solidarity at the back If any team is capable of keeping three more clean sheets in the Champions League this year, it’s Chelsea. Mourinho’s back four and goalkeeper have laid the foundation for his success in the competition this year, and they showed once again that they are capable of containing Europe’s top teams by preventing the Parisians from scoring in the quarter-final second leg. Petr Cech has been in good form and made a crucial stoppage time save to prevent Marquinhos from dumping the West Londoners out of Europe just moments before the final whistle sounded. The likes of John Terry, Gary Cahill, Branislav Ivanovic and Cesar Azpilicueta will once again be relied upon to protect the Chelsea goal in the next round. A new threat in the shape of Diego Costa, who has scored seven times in the Champions League this season, will certainly test the Blues defence. However, if you were to pick a back four combination from any of the four remaining sides, it would be difficult not to consider the names listed above to do the job on such a big occasion. 2. Atletico Madrid lack experience There is no denying that Atletico manager Diego Simeone has done an incredible job with Los Rojiblancos this season, both domestically and on the continent. However, he and the vast majority of his squad have had little to no experience of playing in the semi-finals of the Champions League. Whilst they did achieve success in the Europa League two seasons ago, this is undoubtedly a considerable step-up for the Spanish side, especially owing to the fact that they are facing an opponent that’s loaded with experience and the understanding of how to overcome this sort of challenge. On paper, Chelsea certainly received the draw they would have been hoping for. They have avoided both Real Madrid and defending champions Bayern Munich in favour of a side that has never before won the competition. They must now capitalise on their advantage and progress on to the final, demonstrating enough caution so as not to slip up before they get there. 3. Mourinho’s record Mourinho has won the Champions League trophy twice before and with two different teams, FC Porto and Inter Milan. Although Bob Paisley won the European Cup three times with Liverpool(1977, 1978 and 1981), the Portuguese coach would become the first individual to win the title with three different clubs. Out of the nine encounters with Atletico Madrid that the self-proclaimed “Special One” has had as a manager, he’s led his teams to victory eight times. He also guided his Inter Milan team to a 2-0 victory over Bayern in the 2010 Champions League final at the Bernabeu. One thing is for sure, the former Real Madrid boss knows how to get the best out of his key players in order to achieve the best results and win. The 51-year-old has featured in the last four of the Champions League for five years in a row with three separate clubs. 4. Domestic distraction Mourinho publicly admitted that Chelsea’s Premier League title challenge is all but over following their loss to Crystal Palacetwo weekends ago. They currently sit in second place, two points behind leaders Liverpool and two points ahead of Manchester City, who is expected to leapfrog the London club by winning their pair of games in-hand over the rest of the chasing pack. Atletico Madrid and potential final opponents Real Madrid have the distraction of a title race that they both can still feasibly win. Although Chelsea is by no means out of the hunt for the Premier League crown, they are no longer in control of their own destiny, providing them with a greater opportunity to turn their attention to succeeding in continental competition. 5. Similar squad to 2012 Most of the Blues’ core squad is still intact from their 2012 European escapade. John Terry, who missed the last final through suspension, is back in contention. In addition, the experience of Frank Lampard, David Luiz and Petr Cech will be invaluable if they are to go all the way. Chelsea has an even stronger side this time around with additions such as Eden Hazard, Oscar and Andre Schurrle making them a force to be reckoned with going forward. However, Mourinho will be relying on the likes of his captain, alongside Lampard and Cech to lead the side to glory. As things stand, it may even be the final game that England skipper Terry plays in a blue shirt, unless his contract is extended beyond the end of the current season.
Jose Mourinho masterminded an emphatic comeback at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night after trailing 3-1 from their first meeting with the French champions six days earlier. Friday’s draw has paired the Blues with the current La Liga leaders, who conquered fellow Spanish giants Barcelona with a 1-0 win at the Estadio Vincente Calderon that followed a 1-1 draw at the Nou Camp the week before. The Premier League side will go into the tie as slight favourites, given the superior experience of their players and coaching staff at this stage in the competition. With just two games standing between them and a place in the final against either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich, the Europa League champions will believe that they possess all the qualities necessary to go on and lift the trophy for the second time in three seasons. FIVE reasons why Chelsea can win the Champions League! 1. Solidarity at the back If any team is capable of keeping three more clean sheets in the Champions League this year, it’s Chelsea. Mourinho’s back four and goalkeeper have laid the foundation for his success in the competition this year, and they showed once again that they are capable of containing Europe’s top teams by preventing the Parisians from scoring in the quarter-final second leg. Petr Cech has been in good form and made a crucial stoppage time save to prevent Marquinhos from dumping the West Londoners out of Europe just moments before the final whistle sounded. The likes of John Terry, Gary Cahill, Branislav Ivanovic and Cesar Azpilicueta will once again be relied upon to protect the Chelsea goal in the next round. A new threat in the shape of Diego Costa, who has scored seven times in the Champions League this season, will certainly test the Blues defence. However, if you were to pick a back four combination from any of the four remaining sides, it would be difficult not to consider the names listed above to do the job on such a big occasion. 2. Atletico Madrid lack experience There is no denying that Atletico manager Diego Simeone has done an incredible job with Los Rojiblancos this season, both domestically and on the continent. However, he and the vast majority of his squad have had little to no experience of playing in the semi-finals of the Champions League. Whilst they did achieve success in the Europa League two seasons ago, this is undoubtedly a considerable step-up for the Spanish side, especially owing to the fact that they are facing an opponent that’s loaded with experience and the understanding of how to overcome this sort of challenge. On paper, Chelsea certainly received the draw they would have been hoping for. They have avoided both Real Madrid and defending champions Bayern Munich in favour of a side that has never before won the competition. They must now capitalise on their advantage and progress on to the final, demonstrating enough caution so as not to slip up before they get there. 3. Mourinho’s record Mourinho has won the Champions League trophy twice before and with two different teams, FC Porto and Inter Milan. Although Bob Paisley won the European Cup three times with Liverpool(1977, 1978 and 1981), the Portuguese coach would become the first individual to win the title with three different clubs. Out of the nine encounters with Atletico Madrid that the self-proclaimed “Special One” has had as a manager, he’s led his teams to victory eight times. He also guided his Inter Milan team to a 2-0 victory over Bayern in the 2010 Champions League final at the Bernabeu. One thing is for sure, the former Real Madrid boss knows how to get the best out of his key players in order to achieve the best results and win. The 51-year-old has featured in the last four of the Champions League for five years in a row with three separate clubs. 4. Domestic distraction Mourinho publicly admitted that Chelsea’s Premier League title challenge is all but over following their loss to Crystal Palacetwo weekends ago. They currently sit in second place, two points behind leaders Liverpool and two points ahead of Manchester City, who is expected to leapfrog the London club by winning their pair of games in-hand over the rest of the chasing pack. Atletico Madrid and potential final opponents Real Madrid have the distraction of a title race that they both can still feasibly win. Although Chelsea is by no means out of the hunt for the Premier League crown, they are no longer in control of their own destiny, providing them with a greater opportunity to turn their attention to succeeding in continental competition. 5. Similar squad to 2012 Most of the Blues’ core squad is still intact from their 2012 European escapade. John Terry, who missed the last final through suspension, is back in contention. In addition, the experience of Frank Lampard, David Luiz and Petr Cech will be invaluable if they are to go all the way. Chelsea has an even stronger side this time around with additions such as Eden Hazard, Oscar and Andre Schurrle making them a force to be reckoned with going forward. However, Mourinho will be relying on the likes of his captain, alongside Lampard and Cech to lead the side to glory. As things stand, it may even be the final game that England skipper Terry plays in a blue shirt, unless his contract is extended beyond the end of the current season.
