Brilliant Blues show their class to march on
Ziyech and sub Emerson seal the deal as Atletico have no answers
THIS was Thomas Tuchel’s first big achievement as Chelsea manager, but it’s telling the talk is already of feats way beyond single games — and whether his team can be European champions. They looked that good in this 2-0 win, to make it 3-0 on aggregate, and go through to the quarter-finals.
Atletico Madrid, meanwhile, have never looked further away from the trophy that Diego Simeone wants most. It will now be at least half a decade since their last semi-final, and they are a long way from that peak. Even allowing for that decline, there was a convincing definitiveness to Chelsea’s display.
They themselves look much closer to the kind of football that was imagined after such an impressive summer in the transfer market, as well as Tuchel’s ideal.
Hakim Ziyech’s killer goal here was probably the best moment of the German’s time so far, as well as the first when the season’s three main signings combined to such effervescent effect.
The reality was they were just a level above Atletico, playing a more sophisticated style of football, that made Simeone’s approach look so staid. The Argentine may be one of the Champions League’s great modern figures, but he was here being visibly consigned to the past.
Atletico ultimately resorted to frustrated venting, such as when Stefan Savic was sent off for an elbow into Antonio Rudiger.
Simeone’s side bitterly disputed that, and it wasn’t the only decision they disagreed with it.
It is, of course, possible the tie might have gone very differently had another decision been given on Cesar Azpilicueta’s attempt to ‘catch’ Yannick Carrasco in the first half, when it was 0-0. After a bad back-pass, the defender clearly grabbed Carrasco even if the contact was light. A penalty
Hakim Ziyech celebrates his goal that helped Chelsea see off Atletico would not have been harsh.
If Simeone could be aggrieved by that, he could be irritated by the error that led to the opening goal. Everyone else, however, could only be impressed. With Kieran Trippier hesitant, Chelsea just surged through them.
This, really, was high-level European football at its best — the sort of eviscerating, lightning move that really elevates the elite end of the competition.
Having beaten Trippier to the loose ball, Kai Havertz drove towards the centre before releasing Timo Werner. He scorched through the Atletico half to play a slicing pass for Ziyech to be left with the flourish of a finish.
What was so impressive about it was there was no halting, no