Madrid turns focus from Super League to Champions League

• Chelsea transformed as Tuchel outwits Europe's best coaches

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane wants nothing to do with the Super League.

Last week, the Spanish club was doing everything possible to make the controversial breakaway competition happen, attracting attention to it and trying to convince everyone it was a good idea.

Now, on the eve of the Champions League semifinals against Chelsea, Zidane is working hard to steer away from it.

"What we have to do is to compete and to only think about playing soccer. That's it," Zidane said Monday. "If we start to think about everything that is being said ... it would make it worse. We can only think about the match. The referee will do his job. We have to compete as always. We can't control the rest, so we can't think about it."

Tuesday's first leg against Chelsea in Madrid comes after widespread backlash against the attempt to create the new Super League, which had Madrid president Florentino Pérez as one of its masterminds. Chelsea also was among the founding members, but the team pulled out along with the rest of the English clubs immediately after the criticism surfaced.

Chelsea coach Thomas Tuchel said the game against Madrid wouldn't be affected by the offthe-field antics of the owners.

"I do not imagine that there is any advantage or disadvantage because of a sports political discussion," Tuchel said. "I don't even want to think about it, because it does not exist in my eyes."

European governing body UEFA was vehemently against the new soccer competition and threatened to punish those involved. There was even the threat of kicking out of the Champions League the teams that didn't officially announce they were giving up on the Super League.

The Madrid president still hasn't backed away from the competition and said it's still needed to help the clubs financially. Pérez said the league is on "stand-by" and will eventually happen in some form.

Zidane is keeping his focus on the immediate future.

"It would be absurd to think that we won't be in the Champions League next season," Zidane said. "What we have to do is to continue to stay focused on tomorrow's match. We can't control the rest. A lot will be said. My opinion is that we want to see Real Madrid in the Champions League again next year."

Madrid is playing in the Champions League semifinals for the ninth time in the last 11 seasons, having won four titles in that period. It is coming off two consecutive eliminations in the last 16, though. Chelsea won the European title in 2012 and made it to the last four again two years later, but it hadn't been back to the semifinals since then.

"What matters is the present," Zidane said. "This Chelsea team has done its job in the Champions League and deserves to be in the semifinals. Just like Real Madrid deserves it. Chelsea also is a very experienced team. We will need to play two very good matches to advance."

Zidane will likely be able to count again on Eden Hazard, the former Chelsea forward who has been marred by injuries with Madrid but will be available to play on Tuesday. He returned to action for a few minutes in the team's 0-0 draw against Real Betis in the Spanish league on Saturday, and Zidane said the Belgian player could become "very important" for the team in this decisive stage of the season.

"I talked to him and he is very motivated," Madrid defender Raphael Varane said of Hazard. "You are always motivated when you are playing in a Champions League semifinal, and even more so if it's against your former club. He knows our opponent very well."

Madrid will also be boosted by the return of veteran midfielder Toni Kroos, who was rested in the team's last three games. But Zidane won't be able to count on left back Ferland Mendy and captain Sergio Ramos because of injuries.

Chelsea transformed as Tuchel outwits Europe's best coaches

It started with Jose Mourinho. Then came Diego Simeone, twice, followed by Jurgen Klopp, Carlo Ancelotti and, most recently, Pep Guardiola. Five of the sharpest coaching minds in European soccer, all outwitted by Thomas Tuchel since the German took charge of Chelsea in late January.

Indeed, Tuchel's team didn't even concede a goal in those wins over Tottenham, Atletico Madrid, Liverpool, Everton and Manchester City during a three-month period that has seen Chelsea transformed from a defensively shaky side to surely the most robust in Europe.

Ignoring the stats-busting 5-2 loss to West Bromwich Albion, when Chelsea played almost an hour with just 10 men because of Thiago Silva's sending-off, and the team has let in just four goals in 20 games under Tuchel.

They are amazing numbers that highlight the task awaiting Real Madrid — and its own storied coach, Zinedine Zidane — heading into the Champions League semifinals starting on Tuesday, when the first leg takes place in Spain.

"If it's not possible to play our nicest match, we are able to not let the opponent play their best match. That's also a definition of performance," Tuchel said Monday.

"So we have a strong bond within the squad, I feel we are very, very involved physically in the games, ready to work together, to suffer together."

Here's what has been behind this defensive turnaround that has helped Chelsea get into an FA Cup final, get back into the top four of the Premier League and reach the Champions League semifinals for the first time since 2014:

Tuchel had barely 24 hours with the squad before taking charge of his first game as the replacement for Frank Lampard and he made an immediate decision to bring back two experienced defenders who had been out of favor. Club captain Cesar Azpilicueta and Antonio Rudiger — rugged, disciplined and no-nonsense defenders — started the 0-0 draw against Wolverhampton on Jan. 27 and have been mainstays ever since. A switch to a back three has seen Azpilicueta and Rudiger play either side of Thiago Silva, offering protection to the 36-year-old Brazilian who is new to the English game following his move from Paris Saint-Germain and perhaps vulnerable to its relentless intensity. Even when Silva has been absent and Andreas Christensen has filled in in the middle of the three, the defensive structure has been rock solid. "Most important is quality and commitment, doing the things which are necessary to do," Tuchel said. "Can I help to cover my teammate when he is going for a challenge? Do I play my role and be 100% reliable? Can the defensive guys rely on the midfielders? Can the midfielders rely on the strikers? This is a clear yes."

Helping the defense has been Tuchel's decision to station two deeper-lying central midfielders as protectors. On Tuesday, that will be N'Golo Kante and Jorginho, with Mateo Kovacic out injured. The two sitting midfielders rarely give up space in front of the defense and cover either side when the wing backs — typically Ben Chilwell on the left and Reece James on the right — pour forward. It has been an immovable structure that has helped strangle opponents and force them to play wider. Even Manchester City struggled to create a clear-cut chance at Wembley Stadium when Chelsea won 1-0 in the FA Cup semifinals.

Typifying this new relentless work ethic is the make-up of Tuchel's front three, which no longer has room for an out-andout target man like Olivier Giroud or Tammy Abraham. Instead, the preferred trio now appears to be Christian Pulisic, Kai Havertz and Mason Mount, mobile players happy to track back and who value the defensive work almost as much as what they do going forward. Chelsea's attacking numbers have yet to hit the heights under Tuchel as a result. "I think when the results are going well, not many questions can be asked," Pulisic said. "It is great to watch entertaining, attacking and freeflowing football all the time but when it gets to the end of the season, results matter."

No player is sure of their place under Tuchel — even in goal. First-choice goalkeeper Edouard Mendy has twice lost his place to Kepa Arrizabalaga for back-toback FA Cup and Premier League games. There is regular rotation in the wing-back role while the front three regularly changes, with Timo Werner and Callum Hudson-Odoi coming into the team. It is keeping the players on the toes, and keeping everyone involved. "It makes the bond very, very strong, very close," Tuchel said.