Champions League Results: Chelsea Shifts Focus From Premier League To UEFA Title
The Champions League results were just what Chelsea needed, with a draw against Atletico Madrid giving the team a glimmer of hope after having their Premier League hopes dashed.
The scoreless draw in the first round of the UEFA Champions League semifinals was the result Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho intended, but now the English squad must seize their opportunity in the second leg of the semifinals if they want a shot at the championship.
In the first leg of their semifinal matchup against Atletico Madrid, Chelsea tightened down on defense and secured a 0-0 draw. Despite losing captain John Terry to an injury that will keep him out the rest of the Premier League season, Chelsea is upbeat about its Champion League results and the opportunity next week to advance to the finals.
The result wasn’t sitting well with Atletico, however.
“We’re not happy with the draw since we wanted to win at all costs. We’re left with a bad taste in our mouth even if the series is still open,” said Gabi Fernandez. “We knew they didn’t want to concede, but we tried to score through our best attacking football.”
The teams will meet next week for the second leg at Stamford Bridge, with the winner going on to play either Bayern or Real Madrid in the final on May 24.
Though Chelsea got the Champions League results they were looking for, clamping down on Atletico, they will have to open it up more in the final contest to win. The tie-breaker in UEFA is away goals, so Chelsea will need more than defense to win.
“We had to be safe, don’t concede and score in the chances you create,” Mourinho said. “If you score a goal in one of those situations the result would be very good. We didn’t, but this result means everything will be decided at Stamford Bridge.”
Mourinho said the Champions League results were a boost to the Blues, who now put the UEFA title as a priority after having their Premier League hopes dashed. After a loss last weekend, Chelsea would need Liverpool to lose out in order to have any chance at the English title.
