It is official, Chelsea are in the quarter-finals of the Champions League as the best eight teams in Europe go head to head. UEFA has scheduled the Champions League draw this morning at 11 am.
I cannot stress it enough, Thomas Tuchel’s tricky Blues can win this competition back to back, I have no doubt in my mind. Okay, maybe just a small doubt.
The draw has to go our way to retain the Champions of Europe status. Whilst Chelsea’s boss doesn’t seem to fear anyone, there may be one or two teams that we should look to try and avoid.
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One of Tuchel's famous quotes comes from when he first joined Chelsea in 2021. He came into the Premier League with one goal. To make Chelsea the team that nobody wants to play.
"As a manager, there is no time to waste. Honestly, now we compete for the FA Cup, we will get ready to compete at the highest level in Champions League, and we want to create a team that is absolutely no fun to play against." Thomas Tuchel in January 2021.
Funnily enough, he still maintains that same standard. Despite the controversies situating around the club. Despite the interest from rival teams and contract endings. He still believes in the premise of being that team that nobody wants.
Teams To Avoid
Speaking of teams that nobody wants to play, looking at the pool of opponents to draw against, one particular stands out for me.
Bayern Munich.
Considering their formidable form, I could have chosen Liverpool, Manchester City, or Real Madrid, but the German side takes precedent here. Maybe it's the PTSD of remembering their 8-2 dismantling of Chelsea in 2020 across the two legs.
Or perhaps it's the fear of losing 8-0 like Lionel Messi's Barcelona did just after they'd finished cooking us. I don't know what it is about Bayern Munich, but their ruthless nature is something to fear.
When asked about who he wants or doesn't want to meet in the quarter-finals, he echoes his initial comments from January 2021.
"I want us to be the team that nobody wants to play."
Whilst I believe that we are one of the teams that others would like, I am also conscious that Bayern is probably number one on everybody's 'must avoid' list.
Teams that Chelsea can take on
I'll keep it short and sweet. Bring on anybody else besides Bayern, and we will have a shoo-in for another Champions League final.
I don't care if it is Liverpool, Real Madrid, or Atletico Madrid. Bring it on. With all due respect to these teams, they all are absolutely filled with quality, but they don't have our manager.
Tuchel is a tactical magician. He won it with his forward-thinking last year. There's no doubt that he can do it again this time around.
The obvious answer to who I'd prefer to take on would be Benfica or Villareal. They are the weakest out of the bunch on paper, but I still put every team on a level playing ground.
There are no weaklings at the quarter-finals of Europe's most elite competition. Anyone can surprise you at any point, but Tuchel himself is full of surprises.
Whether he's up against football mastermind Pep Guardiola, or Arsenal's least favoured manager Unai Emery, he will get the job done, and I am banking on it.
Chelsea vs ___ in the Champions League Final
I would love to see Chelsea vs Liverpool in another final. There's a level of injustice that I am still dealing with following the events of their Carabao Cup clash.
A final where the two managers played chess and took it down to the wire. I believe that the Blues were robbed of a goal and a red card against Liverpool with blatant incidents mishandled by the officiating team on the day.
Chelsea would have won that match if the incorrect decisions had been corrected. With all the technology involved in football, you'd think that Liverpool would have been fighting with ten men following Naby Keita's reckless challenge on Trevoh Chalobah.
I am at peace with how the match transpired but feel as though there is unfinished business. We are the ultimate team that Liverpool would not want to face for a fourth time this season. A Champions League final would deliver sweet revenge for the Blues.
I just hope that fans would be allowed to buy tickets if it comes to it!
