Thomas Tuchel has admitted that Chelsea need to “overperform” to do the “almost impossible” and overturn a 3-1 deficit against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu.
But he has vowed that if their defence of the Champions League crown ends in Spain on Tuesday, Chelsea will go down fighting.
Karim Benzema’s hat-trick in the first leg of their quarter-final at Stamford Bridge last week means Chelsea face an uphill task but Tuchel has urged them to show their true selves after he was disappointed with their first-leg display as he dreamed of a wonderful story.
Chelsea got a 1-1 draw away at Real in last season’s semi-final but Tuchel feels the task is both different and tougher now.
“It was at the training ground, at the youth stadium, and it is one of the biggest challenges to perform as an away team in the Bernabeu,” he said. “It is even more difficult if you need to win by a minimum of two goals, maybe with a three-goal difference. It makes it almost impossible but it is worth trying. We need to overperform.
“We do not have the biggest chance given the first game’s result and given the competition and the opponent and the stadium we play in but we never manage our effort and belief by the chances we have of a result.
"We never did and we will not start [now] by giving less because it is very unlikely we will make it. We need nothing else than a fantastic script if we are to overcome this but it is always allowed to dream.”
Tuchel hopes that if Chelsea do bow out, it is in the manner of champions. He told them to fight to the last, explaining: “By not accepting it before it ends and by leaving everything on the pitch and by showing that we can work harder, that we can play better, that we can take more risks and show our true face and live up to our true potential and then we accept what comes next.”
He lamented a lack of intensity last week, while also blaming the Premier League for not allowing him to make five substitutions a game to keep players fresher.
“We face a huge disadvantage in terms of physicality,” he said. “Real plays a whole year with five changes and we play in the most demanding league and the most matches. We need the physicality to be a special team.”
Chelsea will be without the injured Romelu Lukaku, who has an achilles problem, but captain Cesar Azpilicueta, who missed the 6-0 win at Southampton because of coronavirus, is back.
It is a return to Madrid for Mateo Kovacic, who won the Champions League three times as a Real squad player, and a reunion with Luka Modric. His fellow Croatian was first his hero and then someone he became close to.
“I admired him as a child he played for my favourite club Dinamo Zagreb and now he is my friend I admire him even more,” he said. “Great player, great person.”
Modric turns 37 in September but Kovacic believes he can carry on into his forties. “He was always as good as he is now,” he said. “I know him for the last five, six or seven years and he is on the same level, which is amazing. I still see him playing three or four more years on this level.”
Kovacic took inspiration from past comebacks, when Real overturned a 2-0 first-leg deficit against Wolfsburg in the 2016 quarter-finals and when Chelsea lost 3-1 to Napoli in 2012 but also went on to win the Champions League. “Football is always surprising but we need to be ready 100 percent to do a comeback,” he said.
Chelsea v Real Madrid ratings
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CHELSEA RATINGS: Edouard Mendy - 4: Helpless in first half as Vinicius Junior hit bar and Benzema sent two perfect headers into the net. Catastrophic pass to Rudiger gifted Benzema his hat-trick for Real's crucial third and looked shaky for rest of game. AFP -
Andreas Christensen - 4: In right place to clear after Mendy saved from Valverde as Real threatened to make it 3-0 but generally given torrid time by Vinicius Junior. Hooked at break. EPA -
Thiago Silva - 6: Textbook defending from veteran Brazilian defender with well-timed block on compatriot Vinicius Junior. Couldn’t handle Benzema’s movement ahead of second goal. Headed chance over himself in 39th minute. EPA -
Antonio Rudiger - 5: German was booked in opening 20 minutes for cynical trip on Valverde which might explain his weak challenge on Benzema before Frenchman scored his third following dire Mendy pass. AP -
Jorginho - 6: Seemed helpless as Real ran riot in first half until producing pinpoint ball to pick on Havertz for German to head home and make it 2-1. Getty -
N’Golo Kante - 6: Trademark tackle and fine ball forward set up early chance for Havertz. Fired shot from distance well over. Also hooked at half-time, assuming due to injury as there was more obvious choices. AFP -
Reece James - 7: Lovely turn in first half to bamboozle Casemiro and saw curling free-kick saved by Courtois. Conceded needless corner that Militao headed straight at keeper. Had low shot saved by keeper late on. AFP -
Cesar Azpilicueta - 5: Captain found Valverde a handful down his left flank. Powerful strike was heading for top corner until Courtois produced fine save just after half-time. EPA -
Mason Mount 6: Urged forward at start by Tuchel and flashed dangerous early ball across box and looked like it was going to his night. But didn’t really make another big impact on game until curling finish on to roof of net with 20 minutes to go. AP -
Christian Pulisic - 4: American attacker kept very quiet by Real defence and offered little threat. The fact he started ahead of Lukaku shows how far the Belgian has fallen down the pecking order. AP -
Kai Havertz - 7: Fired shot over bar in fifth minute. Headed Chelsea back into game five minutes before break and comfortably their biggest attacking threat. Reuters -
SUBS: Hakim Ziyech – (On for Kante 46’) 5: Moroccan didn’t really give Chelsea the extra attacking impetus they were after and drilled a left-footed shot over bar in injury time when well placed. PA -
Mateo Kovacic – (On for Christensen 46’) 6: Brought on to give Chelsea a midfield boost but could only look on in horror as Mendy and Rudiger contrived to gift Real a third right after half-time. AP -
Romelu Lukaku – (Pulisic 64’) 4: Belgian striker missed two headed chances soon after coming on, the second of which he should have finished. Badly short of confidence for his club and doesn't look like he wants to be there. PA -
Ruben Loftus-Cheek – (Jorginho 64’) 5: The midfield battle was already being lost but Loftus-Cheek did nothing to change that after coming on. Getty -
REAL MADRID RATINGS: Thibaut Courtois - 7: Former Chelsea keeper, booed by home fans from off, made solid save from James free-kick and got hand on but couldn’t keep out Havertz’ header in first half. Great one-handed stop from Azpilicueta shot. PA -
Dani Carvajal - 8: On his toes in opening minute to clear dangerous Mount cross and impressive performance throughout from experienced full-back. Getty -
Eder Militao - 7: Speculative long-range shot in fourth minute saved down low by Mendy. Booked in first 20 minutes for hauling down on Havertz. Barely gave Pulisic a kick but limped off injured in second half. AFP -
David Alaba - 8: Important challenge to prevent Havertz getting free shot in goal early on in what was Austrian's 100th Champions League game. Immense at the back. Getty -
Ferland Mendy - 7: Under early pressure from James and Mount but French left-back regained his composure and was solid throughout. AFP -
Luka Modric - 8: What a ball from Croatian to pick out Benzema in the box for striker’s second. The veteran midfielder continues to have a major influence on big games. AFP -
Casemiro - 8: Had home fans demanding penalty after challenge on Havertz but was waved away from referee. Some crunching tackles and helped Real win midfield battle. AFP -
Toni Kroos - 7: Passing masterclass in midfield with Modric for an hour but was starting to look tired before being taken off with 16 minutes left. AFP -
Federico Valverde - 8: Played down the right and caused Chelsea plenty of problems, particularly in opening 45 minutes. AP -
Karim Benzema – 9.5: Two brilliant headers put Real in charge of quarter-final – one powered, one placed. Then put easy shot wide to miss out on first-half treble but his third did come just after break thanks to Chelsea’s disastrous defending. Reuters -
Vinicius Junior - 9: Rattled crossbar with 10th-minute strike when he should have scored. Perfect cross to pick out Benzema for Frenchman’s opener and was sensational out wide in the first 45 minutes when he made Christensen’s life a misery. AFP -
SUBS: Nacho – (On for Militao 65’) 7: Good block on Mount shot with 10 minutes to go. EPA -
Eduardo Camavinga – (On for Kroos 74’) 6: Came on for a shattered Kroos and helped Real see out the match with a 3-1 advantage. Getty -
Gareth Bale – (On for Benzema 86’) N/A. AFP -
Dani Ceballos – (Valverdy 86’) N/A. Reuters
