“That’s easy to say, the hard part is doing it” – Rafa Benitez explains what Chelsea must do to beat Real Madrid in UCL second leg
Rafa Benitez reckons Chelsea have the players to take advantage of Real Madrid's mistakes and reach the UEFA Champions League semifinal. The Blues need to overcome a 2-0 deficit at Stamford Bridge to get past the holders, though.
Benitez knows about winning European trophies at Chelsea. The Spaniard won the Europa League in the 2012-13 season after replacing Roberto Di Matteo on an interim basis.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Benitez said that Blues fans will play a crucial role in helping the team. He added that the Blues have enough quality to spring a surprise:
"It is clear that the atmosphere at Stamford Bridge should be key to Chelsea starting the game with intensity, pressing high and not letting Real Madrid handle the ball as they know how. They also have quality players to play with and take advantage of any Real Madrid mistake. That's easy to say, the hard part is doing it."
The Blues lost 3-1 at home to Madrid at the same stage of the competition last season.
Rafa Benitez admits surprise at Chelsea appointing Frank Lampard
Chelsea sacked Graham Potter in March after a string of poor performances and appointed Frank Lampard as the Caretake Manager after Bruno Saltor took charge for one match.
Benitez admitted that he was surprised to see the owners go for a manager who was sacked by the previous regime. However, he believes that the experience of playing for the club and knowing it for years should help the Englishman.
The Spaniard told The Telegraph:
"It was a surprise for everyone (re-appointing Lampard), but he has been there for many years and knows the players. It's a risky gamble that we will only be able to assess, as almost always, at the end.
"He has a great squad at his disposal. He knows the Premier League. He knows the players, the staff, and the fans will give him more leeway than another manager because he was a great player there. He can give them more peace of mind in the short term."
The Blues are 11th in the Premier League and are winless in three games across competitions under Frank Lampard.