"I don't think the gap is as big as people think" – Joe Cole insists Chelsea have nothing to fear when they take on Real Madrid in the UCL
Chelsea cult-hero Joe Cole has claimed that the gap between his former club and Real Madrid is rather over-exaggerated ahead of their UEFA Champions League knockout encounter.
The Blues, who bested Borussia Dortmund 2-1 on aggregate in the last-16 stage, are set to travel to Santiago Bernabeu for their quarter-final first leg on Wednesday (April 12). However, the club are going into the contest as underdogs in light of their domestic struggles this season.
Chelsea on board. ✈️
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Chelsea are currently in the 11th spot in the 2022-23 Premier League table with just 39 points from 30 matches – 17 points off the top four.
Real Madrid, on the other hand, are second in the La Liga standings with 59 points from 28 games. Carlo Ancelotti's side eased past last season's finalists Liverpool in their UEFA Champions League last-16 encounter after handing them a humiliating 6-2 loss on aggregate.
Speaking to BT Sport, Cole shared his thoughts on the tie, saying:
"It's a tall order for Chelsea, but I don't think the gap is as big as people think."
When asked if newly appointed Blues interim manager Frank Lampard can get more out of his players against Real Madrid, Cole responded:
"He certainly can. Like Frank said in his interview, it's a difficult season for them and they're in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. You have to put that into perspective with where the club has been for the last 20 years. We've had 30 new players, new managers, new owners, everything – it's a big, big change."
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Frank Lampard opines on Chelsea's UCL quarter-final contest away at Real Madrid
Speaking at a pre-match press conference, Frank Lampard shared his thoughts on Chelsea's chances in the Champions League. He said:
"The Premier League is one of the greatest challenges and those challenges have obviously taken us to a place we don't want to be. I think the Champions League offers you a bit of escapism... a different speed of game, knockout football, those things can all contribute to getting different success in the same season."
Backing his team to put up a show at Real Madrid, Lampard added:
"There's pressure on both teams due to the size of both clubs. Are they favorites? Yes. But there's no better carrot in football than trying to prove people wrong. I think that's a nice challenge for us. I'm not worried about that, in terms of pressure. Football at this level is pressure and if you can't handle it, you're not a big club."