"Nobody wanted Chelsea" - Real Madrid star Toni Kroos opens up on facing the Blues in Champions League quarter-finals
Real Madrid star Toni Kroos has admitted no team would have wanted to draw Chelsea as opponents in the Champions League quarter-finals. The German believes Thomas Tuchel's side are the toughest to face in the competition.
In last week's Champions League draw, Chelsea were drawn out first with Real Madrid as their opponents. The two sides met in the semi-finals of the competition last season, with the Blues winning 3-1 on aggregate.
The last time we faced Real Madrid in the #UCL! 🤩
While speaking with his brother Felix on their podcast, Kroos claimed Madrid were drawn against the toughest sides in the recent draws. The midfielder added that they got the team nobody else wanted to face in the competition. He said, via Europa Press:
"They are the current Champions League champions, so it couldn't be more difficult. There could hardly be a bigger hurdle, but we have to concentrate on ourselves, and if we play well, it's possible to do a lot of things. We have to try to be very good because that's what we will have to be to reach the semi-finals. Probably nobody wanted PSG in the last 16, and probably nobody wanted Chelsea in the quarter-finals, but that's the way things are, and we have to accept them."
Toni Kroos on Chelsea and Real Madrid fans missing the game
Chelsea's restrictions have now been partially lifted, and the club can sell tickets.
It's Real Madrid in the quarter-finals of the #UCL!
#UCLdraw https://t.co/EX0K0DzXYb
However, at the time of recording the podcast, Kroos spoke about the fans possibly missing the game and said:
"It would be a disadvantage. But listen, in general this game is for the spectators, the game changes so much with spectators. So hopefully we'll find solutions. I'm pretty sure everybody at the club and the board will fight for a chance. I don't know how big the possibility is, but the games are for the spectators and especially these games. It's a different game when the crowds are in the stadium. Hopefully we can make it happen somehow."
Notably, Real Madrid drew another tough opponent in Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the Round of 16 stage of the competition, whom they defeated in dramatic fashion. After trailing 2-0 on aggregate until the 60th minute of the second leg, Karim Benzema put on a show for Los Blancos, scoring a 17-minute hat-trick and helping them win the tie 3-2 on aggregate.
The Blues, meanwhile, eased past reigning French champions LOSC Lille, beating them 4-1 on aggregate.
The first leg of the Chelsea-Real Madrid game will take place on April 6 and the second leg a week later on April 12.