Tuchel prays for a miracle in Madrid
THOMAS TUCHEL admits Chelsea face a near mission impossible at Real Madrid — but he is daring to dream they can stage a stunning comeback to reach the Champions League semi-finals.
The holders face the Spanish giants tonight 3-1 down after last week’s Stamford Bridge first leg, with Tuchel claiming only ‘a fantastic script’ will see them overturn the deficit.
Midfielder Mateo Kovacic yesterday name-dropped Napoli by way of inspiration as minds drifted back to the Blues’ greatest European comeback.
It was a decade ago and they were in turmoil, with star players in revolt against boss Andre Villas-Boas, who was sacked in between the two legs, before overturning a 3-1 deficit.
Branislav Ivanovic scored the winner in extra-time at Stamford Bridge and they went on to win the trophy for the first time under the interim leadership of Roberto Di Matteo.
‘There are many comebacks, football is always surprising,’ said Kovacic. Like Tuchel, he is under no illusions about the size of the task.
Chelsea completed their epic recovery against Napoli on home turf and that’s where most of the classic comebacks occur, where the swing of momentum can be amplified by a raucous crowd.
Now they have to win big at the home of Madrid, European champions on 13 occasions and going nicely at the top of La Liga under Carlo Ancelotti.
‘It is one of the biggest challenges to perform as the away team at the Bernabeu,’ said Tuchel, who will be without the injured Romelu Lukaku tonight.
‘Even more difficult if you have to earn a certain result. If you need to win by a minimum of two goals, or even a three-goal difference, it makes it almost impossible.’
The doubting Thomas routine began as soon as the first leg ended, when Tuchel was smarting from Karim Benzema’s hat-trick.
He quickly declared the tie dead, a conclusion based mainly upon his team’s terrible form after the international break.
Brentford scored four at the Bridge four days before Real scored three. His language has changed only slightly since a therapeutic 6-0 victory at Southampton on Saturday.
‘Not the biggest chance,’ was Tuchel’s assessment ‘The task is incredibly high given the circumstances of the first leg plus where and against whom we play this match.’
Last season, on their way to winning the competition for the second time, his side outplayed Real in Madrid in the semi-final.
They won 2-0 in London after a 1-1 draw in Spain’s capital, where they played behind closed doors at the small stadium in the Valdebebas training centre due to Covid rules and renovation work at the Bernabeu.
‘Can it be more different?’ shrugged Tuchel.
But for all his doom-mongering, he will arrive in Madrid with a plan, and will demand his players commit to its execution while hoping for a slice of good fortune — perhaps a big decision in Chelsea’s favour or an early goal to inspire belief.
‘It’s always allowed to dream,’ said Tuchel. ‘It’s important to imagine things and dream about it but it will not shift the focus from the fact that we need to deliver.’