The Arena Nationala in Bucharest will welcome the likes of two heavyweights from the opposing ends of the continent. Chelsea will face their sternest test till date under Tuchel against an Atletico Madrid side who are currently witnessing a slight dip in form, although they are on the top of La Liga.
Thomas Tuchel spoke to the press ahead of the clash, in quotes picked up by football.london, about Diego Simeone’s Atletico, he said:
“They are a very solid team and top of the league in Spain. We know we are facing a very strong team with experience in the competition. They’ve worked with the manager for a few years. We are playing away from home but we want to play our own game.”
He confirmed Thiago Silva’s absence who picked up an injury against Tottenham and has been out since, while Kai Havertz and Christian Pulisic might feature against the Spanish leaders, making no further comments on the possible line-up. (football.london)
He also pointed out the clash to be a ‘big test’ for his team, when asked if the match is a test of Chelsea’s mental strength. Tuchel said:
“It’s a big test. They are an experienced club at this level, and have an experienced coach. Hopefully it brings out the best in us. We will do things our way, they will do things their way. It’s clear what you get when you play Atletico: fighting, experience, and a team with a good mentality.”
Spain’s Covid-19 regulations have forced the encounter to take place in Romania, to which the German reacted by saying:
“It’s a disadvantage for Atletico to lose their home ground.”
Chelsea have gone unbeaten under Tuchel during his reign in his seven matches so far, having drawn two and won five. But this time around, the Rojiblancos pose an outside threat the German hasn’t faced with his new squad since taking over.
English
Arabic
Chinese (Simplified)
Dutch
French
German
Italian
Portuguese
Russian
Spanish