Chelsea's UEFA Champions League Journey to the Final
Bollywood superstar and die-hard Chelsea fan Arjun Kapoor looked back on the Blues’ journey to the UEFA Champions League final ahead of their showdown against Manchester City. Chelsea started the season with Frank Lampard as the manager and welcomed Sevilla at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues failed to get the three points despite handing UCL debuts to a handful of new signings, as they played out a 0-0 draw with the reigning UEFA Europa League champions at the time. Chelsea then traveled to Russia to take on FC Krasnodar on Matchday 2, as they recorded their first UCL with a convincing 4-0 success away from home.
Lampard and co then played French side Rennes, as new signing Edouard Mendy faced his former team a few months after his surprise switch to Stamford Bridge. The Senegalese goalkeeper got two victories over his former teammates, as Chelsea took a major step towards qualifying for the knockout stages with a 3-0 victory at home, followed by a 2-1 success in France.
The Londoners then traveled to the Ramon Sanchez Pizchuan to take on Sevilla in what promised to be an intriguing encounter. Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud produced one of the performances of the season, as he scored all four goals in a stunning 4-0 away victory and broke several long-standing UEFA Champions League records. The Blues finished top of Group E after their 1-1 draw against Krasnodar on Matchday 6, as they set up a mouthwatering clash against La Liga giants Atletico Madrid in the Round of 16.
Chelsea gathered momentum in the knockout stages of the UCL
Thomas Tuchel replaced Lampard before the knockout stages and seemingly transformed the team, as they beat Atletico Madrid home and away to record a magnificent 3-0 aggregate victory over Diego Simeone’s side. Once again, Giroud made his mark in the tie, as his outrageous bicycle kick gave the Blues a crucial lead at the Wanda Metropolitano in the first leg.
Chelsea locked horns against FC Porto and took a comfortable 2-0 lead in the first leg, as they prevailed 2-1 on aggregate despite losing the second leg in Seville. With a spot in the semi-final guaranteed, record European champions Real Madrid stood between them and a place in the final.
Tuchel’s side showed their defensive resilience and character over two legs and recorded a creditable 1-1 draw at the Alfredo di Stefano stadium, as Christian Pulisic’s away goal was canceled out by Karim Benzema's strike. The second leg at Stamford Bridge proved to be the highlight of Tuchel’s reign at Chelsea, as the Blues produced a stunning display and won the game 2-0.
Chelsea's UEFA Champions League campaign has been nothing short of extraordinary, but the job is not done yet. Tuchel and co are one win away from being named European champions, as they prepare to lock horns with Manchester City at the Estadio do Dragao in Portugal.