Despite recent turmoil surrounding the club’s ownership, Chelsea is going smoothly in their on-field business as they reached the Champions League quarter-finals after beating reigning Ligue 1 champions Lille.
Thomas Tuchel’s side won the first leg at home by 2-0 before coming away victorious by 2-1 in the away leg which booked their tickets for the quarterfinals.
The Blues are one of the contenders to win the Champions League this term and if they can achieve that then they will become only the third English team to win back to back winners of this competition. Liverpool and Nottingham Forest are the only two sides who have achieved this feat.
Meanwhile, apart from Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool are the other two Premier League sides who have secured their place in the quarter-finals and they are also among the contenders to win the competition.
Although the Londoners’ future is currently hanging in the air due to the sanction imposed by the UK government, Thomas Tuchel has handled his team brilliantly and their performances do not reflect that the off-field situation impacted their focus.
Chelsea is still competing in every competition as they are in the F.A Cup as well where they will face Middlesbrough this weekend. Tuchel’s side only lost one game in the last 13 games and that defeat came against Liverpool in penalties in the EFL Cup final.
Potential opponents in the quarterfinal of the Champions League for Chelsea:
Apart from the English clubs, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Villarreal and Benfica have qualified for this round. Meanwhile, the German giants and the kings of this competition are the favourites to win this competition along with the English clubs.
Thomas Tuchel’s side overcame the challenges of the Rojiblancos and Los Blancos last term before beating Manchester City in the final. Therefore, the Blues will fancy their chances to go through to the semi-final once again if one of the Spanish giants end up being the opponent.
Meanwhile, the draw is going to take place on Friday and the draw will be open. Any team can be drawn against any team.
Chelsea will be looking to avoid Manchester City, Liverpool and Bayern Munich at this stage of the competition. And either of Villarreal and Benfica will be the preferred opponents for Thomas Tuchel’s side.
The semi-final draw will happen at the same time. And the team will already get an assumption as to who will be the potential opponent if they surpass the quarter-final hurdle.
With the Premier League title looking out of sight for Thomas Tuchel’s side, winning the Champions League will make up for the disappointment in the league. The west London club is currently sitting in 3rd in the table with 59 points in 28 games. 11 points behind the league leader Manchester City, with a game in hand.
How many trophies Chelsea can win this season?
Although there is a slim chance of catching the Citizens at the top, winning the Champions League is the most likely outcome to finish the season with a trophy alongside the F.A Cup.
Chelsea went all the way to the final of the F.A Cup last season before losing to Leicester City. And the Blues will be keen on lifting the world’s oldest competition this term.
Thomas Tuchel still has opportunities to save their season and give some joy to the fans during this difficult period. Winning two silverware, with back-to-back Champions League glory will make the German a legend of this club in this short spell.
