Chelsea 2 Atletico Madrid 0 (3-0): Ziyech and Emerson send Blues to Champions League quarters for first time since 2014
THIS is a tight-fisted, mean-spirited, deadly-serious Chelsea team. Serious enough even to out-smart Diego Simeone’s infamously street-tough La Liga leaders. Six straight clean sheets, just two goals conceded in 13 unbeaten matches under Thomas Tuchel, and into their first Champions League quarter-final for seven years. Chelsea’s only two appearances in the European Cup Final have […]
THIS is a tight-fisted, mean-spirited, deadly-serious Chelsea team.
Serious enough even to out-smart Diego Simeone’s infamously street-tough La Liga leaders.
Six straight clean sheets, just two goals conceded in 13 unbeaten matches under Thomas Tuchel, and into their first Champions League quarter-final for seven years.
Chelsea’s only two appearances in the European Cup Final have come after managerial changes during the course of a season – under Avram Grant in 2008 and Roberto Di Matteo in 2012.
And you wouldn’t bet against Tuchel repeating the feat after this, his most significant victory since taking over at Stamford Bridge.
Tuchel made it to the final with Paris St Germain last year and nobody will fancy being paired with his Blues in Friday’s last-eight draw.
Chelsea’s six-strong £230million summer recruitment drive did not bear fruit in time to spare Frank Lampard the sack in January.
But three of that number – Kai Havertz, Timo Werner and goalscorer Hakim Ziyech, combined to double Chelsea’s aggregate lead with a classic counter-attacking goal.
The truest heroes of this victory, though were Antonio Rudiger and N’Golo Kante.
Rudiger successfully handcuffed Luis Suarez – the man he’d described as a ‘pain in the a**e’ in a pre-match interview.
And Kante, back to his Leicester title-winning best, bossed it against a central-midfield duo as formidable as Atletico’s Koke and Saul Niguez.
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We have banged on about Kante’s ridiculous workrate for five years now but the Frenchman is about far more than that.
His passing, his movement, his speed of thought, were of the highest quality in a virtually flawless display.
So far, Tuchel’s Chelsea don’t thrill you, they don’t even cheer you up, but they do win and they do keep clean sheets.
The German’s restoration of Rudiger into a three-man central defence has been key.
Rudiger had been frozen out by Lampard, a decision which appears more daft by the week.
Tuchel is not a crowd-pleaser – an easier thing to be when there is no crowd to please – and his line-up was conservative.
There was a photo of Olivier Giroud’s overhead kick first-leg winner on the front of the Chelsea programme but the Frenchman’s name did not feature in the starting line-up, despite his six Champions League goals this season.
But those three forward players who did start, conjured the crucial first-half goal which effectively killed off Atletico.
Havertz was the architect and although the German has yet to fully click, he could be some player.
They have always loved a bit of subtle artistry around here – from Mata to Zola to Nevin to Charlie Cooke – and it is felt that Havertz can provide that sort of vibe.
Tuchel has already defeated Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham and Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool but this was his most impressive scalp.
Simeone, the great managerial anti-hero of European football, with the demeanour of a Scorsese mobster, was well and truly whacked here.
Centre-back Stefan Savic ended up so frustrated he was sent off – harshly – for a dig in the ribs at Rudiger as Chelsea defended a late corner.
Simeone’s on-field blood-brother, leading scorer Luis Suarez, was muzzled so efficiently that he was substituted before the hour.
Chelsea – missing the suspended Mason Mount and Jorginho – were front-footed and lively from the off, Kante all sweat and guile, their wing-backs high up the pitch.
Marcos Alonso was proving tricky for Atletico’s England full-back Kieran Trippier – the Bury lad who has developed a decent Spanish accent by the sound of it – and Reece James teed up Werner, who screwed a shot wide.
When Suarez got goalside of Rudiger he was barged over on the edge of the box, Italian ref Daniele Orsato insisting there was nothing doing.
Then, an even bigger let-off for Chelsea as Cesar Azpilicueta made a pig’s ear of attempting to deal with a Suarez pass, allowing Joao Felix to get clear of him, then appearing to tug back the Atletico striker.
Both Orasto and his VAR were unconvinced. Only BT Sport’s Peter Walton agreed with them and he’d have claimed King Herod wasn’t interfering with play.
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Atletico were seething. But just as they started to look menacing, Chelsea struck on the break.
Havertz surged forward and fed a motoring Werner, who squared for Ziyech to slot home.
Jan Oblak, widely regarded as the best keeper on the planet, might have done better.
But Chelsea were full of it now, fizzing around their passes, Rudiger rumbling forward but skying his shot, Mateo Kovacic bending one wide.
After the break, Werner cut in from the right and forced Oblak to save smartly at his near post – then the Atletico keeper tipped over a Ziyech 20-yarder.
Suarez was withdrawn as Simeone became desperate and when Savic received his marching orders, it was all over for Atletico.
Chelsea completed the job deep in injury-time, when Emerson – who’d just arrived as a sub, finished off another breakaway with a low drive into the far corner.
Tuchel’s Chelsea are a lean, mean and dangerous proposition, even to Europe’s finest.