Chelsea v Atletico Madrid team news – Will Mourinho get his tactics right once again?
Manger quotes, player quotes, team news and prediction ahead of the Champions league clash between Chelsea and Atletico Madrid. Chelsea v Atletico Madrid team news.
What the managers are saying:
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho on John Terry – “He has a chance for Wednesday’s game. Let’s see tomorrow. After the last match against Atletico I thought no chance, in this moment I say maybe.”
Atletico Manager Diego Simeone on Chelsea squad –“La Liga is nothing like the Champions League. It is clear Chelsea has a huge team because they won despite making a lot of changes. That means we are going to play against a powerful team, something we knew. So they will make a lot of problems for us next Wednesday.”
What the players are saying:
Chelsea winger Andre Schurrle – “If people look at us and say ‘Chelsea can’t play’ even when we win, it’s just because they’re jealous. You can play perfect football, lots of one-touch stuff, and you lose. But that’s not what you want — you want to win.”
Atletico Madrid captain Gabi on the team’s success this season– “We are up on a cloud from which we don’t want to get down. The team has a level of conviction that has rarely been seen”
Chelsea v Atletico Madrid Team News
Goalkeeper Petr Cech (shoulder), defender John Terry (ankle), midfielder Eden Hazard (calf) and striker Samuel Eto’o (knee) could all feature after they resumed training while Frank Lampard and John Obi Mikel are suspended.
Nemanja Matic and Mo Salah are ineligible while Atletico are without their suspended captain, Gabi.
Prediction:
While Mourinho has shown in recent games that he is still the best tactician in world football his counterpart at Simone has emerged this season as a genuine contender for the best tactical newcomer. The Argentine has shown against Barcelona in the last round that he can get a result on the road and his Atletico side will certainly make life difficult for Chelsea. This game does not have goals written all over it and if Chelsea can get an early goal then they will assume control of the tie however the longer the games goes on at 0-0 the La Liga leaders will grow in confidence. This game looks set to be another bus in the box affair but this time it will be Chelsea doing the probing. Chelsea to win but it may take extra-time or a shoot-out.
