Sevilla's Julen Lopetegui backs Chelsea to win the Champions League
Sevilla manager Julen Lopetegui has backed Chelsea to go on and win the UEFA Champions League this season. The Spanish side face Chelsea in the European competition tonight, with both sides fighting for top spot in the group table.
Talking to the media ahead of the match tonight, Lopetegui said:
"It's a huge and exciting challenge against a team who could win the Champions League. They are the best attacking team in England at the moment, they have great players. It's a real excitement to play against them and it motivates us to play our best."
Sevilla and Chelsea played out a 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge earlier this season, and a similar result could be on the cards tonight as well. Both sides are looking to avoid a defeat as it would make things difficult for them in the next round.
Julen Lopetegui insists that his side are going in as the underdogs tonight and need to be at their best to get a result over Chelsea. During his press conference ahead of tonight's match, he added:
"We want to keep working and growing as a team against a very strong opponent who we'll need to be at our absolute best to beat. I see the team working every day, they're trying their best in spite of the difficult of this season and the injuries we have."
Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has also been heaping praise on Sevilla. He said the Spanish side gave them a tough time at home earlier this season, and also praised Julen Lopetegui for the way he made his team play on the pitch.
The Blues head coach said:
"I think they are a fantastic team, we felt that when they played at Stamford Bridge, it was a difficult match for us. I think they have a really great coach, that's very evident when you watch his team play that he's a top coach, the style of his team, the work he must do behind the scenes. They have a lot of threats that remind me of Premier League teams, in terms of their attributes, their physicality, the speed of their game, their willingness to cross balls into the box and the energy of the team. So I expect a really tough match."
Chelsea and Sevilla have already qualified for the next round after winning their matches against Rennes and Krasnodar. The two sides are now looking to finish on top of the group table as the second-placed teams will have a tough time in the Round of 16.