Carlo Ancelotti has issued a response to the claim from Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel that the upcoming Champions League tie is already settled.
Chelsea suffered a 3-1 home defeat last week against Madrid in the first leg of a Champions League quarter-final.
It means the Spanish club are firm favourites to progress in the second leg, which takes place tomorrow night at the Bernabeu.
Blues manager Tuchel said immediately in his post-match reaction to last week’s result that the European quarter-final was over as a contest.
However, he’s watched his side thrash Southampton 6-0 at the weekend in the Premier League to at least give them some momentum going into Tuesday night.
Madrid boss Ancelotti replied today when asked about Tuchel saying Chelsea can’t overturn the deficit:
“I don’t know, everyone has their opinion, Chelsea is here to fight and to go through. They know well that it’s difficult, but they’re going to try, that’s the spirit of football, of the big clubs that They never give up,” Ancelotti replied.
Mind games?
Tuchel was a little more upbeat in today’s press conference when discussing Chelsea’s chances tomorrow, but you get the feeling he still thinks it’ sunlikely his side can qualify for the semis.
Both Tuchel and Ancelotti are top-class managers that know much crazier stuff has happened in football.
If Chelsea score first tomorrow, then it’s firmly game on.
Tuchel’s such a driven coach that you can bet behind the scenes he’s drilling as much as possible into his players to help them learn from their mistakes against Madrid.
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