Why misfiring Chelsea must be wary of Atletico Madrid in second leg of Champions League tie
The next stage of this season’s UEFA Champions League is gradually taking shape, with a couple of teams already booking their place in the quarter-finals of the competition.
On Wednesday, Chelsea will aim to join the likes of Manchester City, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool and Porto in the next stage of the competition when they lock horns with Atletico Madrid.
The Blues hold a slim advantage in the tie after defeating Diego Simeone’s side 1-0 in the first-leg. However, they cannot underestimate the Spanish side, who currently sit at the top of the La Liga.
The game will see two teams that are defensively solid clash and the tactical duel will be of interest to every neutral. The bottom line, though, is that the game is too tight to call.
Chelsea’s lack of attacking potency
Atletico Madrid were atrocious in the first leg of the Round of 16 tie and they allowed Chelsea to completely dominate the game. However, the Rojiblancos cannot afford a repeat of such a dire performance when they visit Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.
While Chelsea managed to score at the Wanda Metropolitano, thanks to a stupendous overhead kick goal by Olivier Giroud, the Blues have been very lethargic in attack in recent weeks.
Despite the wealth of attacking talents at Thomas Tuchel’s disposal, the German is yet to bring out the best in his star forwards. Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic are all yet to discover their best form under the new manager.
A 1-0 advantage from the first leg is a good cushion for Chelsea, but they will still need to score in the second leg to increase their chances of progressing to the quarter-finals of the Champions League. The Blues have struggled for goals in recent games and this is a deficiency that could come back to haunt them.
The threat of Atletico Madrid
Atletico might have been blunt during the first leg but Simeone’s side have enough attacking quality to trouble Chelsea. In Luis Suarez and Joao Felix, the Spanish side has two lethal forwards who have the quality to unlock any defence.
Chelsea have kept clean sheets in each of their last five games, but keeping Atletico at bay will be a totally different proposition. While the Rojiblancos were extremely defensive in the first leg, they now have nothing to lose and will look to attack Chelsea.
It’s a game that could go anyone’s way but Chelsea will have to put up a solid defensive performance if they are to progress to the next round. The Spanish side has managed to score in three of their last four games, which makes them a real attacking threat for Thomas Tuchel and his men.