Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois assessed his former club Chelsea ahead of the Champions League quarter-final second leg clash at Stamford Bridge and what his teammates need to do
Real Madrid’s former Chelsea keeper Thibaut Courtois wants to prolong his old side’s suffering. And, to do so, he reckons Los Blancos must play a ‘tactical match not a crazy match’ from the first whistle at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.
Carlo Ancelotti’s men hold a 2-0 advantage from Wednesday’s quarter-final first leg. And Courtois said: “Honestly, I don’t understand how Chelsea are failing in the Premier League.
“They have players of a world level who are able to achieve success — although I hope the bad run continues on Tuesday. We are obliged to play very much with our heads and to forget the advantage we have from the Bernabeu.
“The team is prepared for a difficult match in London. Chelsea maybe in crisis in terms of their points in the Premier League but they are always a difficult rival.
“There doesn’t exist an easy English rival. Chelsea have an obligation to attack as they search for a goal and maybe that means we can manage the situation better.
“We hope for a tactical match not a crazy match from the first minute.”
Thibaut Courtois and Real Madrid hold a 2-0 lead over Chelsea from the first leg ( Image: Getty Images)
The winners will meet Manchester City in the semis unless Bayern Munich can overturn a 3-0 first-leg deficit.
Courtois added: “People speak about a semi-final between City and Real but in this moment nothing is resolved. Real Madrid still aren’t in the semi-final of the Champions League yet — the score is positive but not decisive.
“Anything can happen in 90 minutes of football and especially against an English club in England. The key for the match will be to control the ball for much of the time and not let the Blues create in our area.
“The longer the game goes on and Chelsea haven’t scored, we are much further on our way to success.”
Interim boss Frank Lampard returned to the Chelsea dugout earlier this month after the sacking of Graham Potter but the Stamford Bridge legend has lost all three of his matches in charge, most recently the 2-1 defeat to Brighton at the weekend.
But he rejected the notion that his players are lacking the desire to turn their torrid season around, saying: “I think maybe when some players are lacking confidence then it can be seen as a hunger thing. When you are a yard short, you are just a yard short. Or when you are receiving the ball and not confident, you take your first touch backwards.
“That can sometimes feel like a hunger or lack of passion thing but I don’t feel that. I feel like the players are hungry to be successful as Chelsea players.”
