The ultimate spherical of Champions League final 16 matches had been performed out on Wednesday night this week, which means we will now see who we might face within the quarter finals of the competitors.
The draw will likely be made on Friday morning at 11am.
So, who’re the ultimate eight groups?
Bayern (GER)
Benfica (POR)
Chelsea (ENG)
Inter (ITA)
Man Metropolis (ENG)
Milan (ITA)
Napoli (ITA)
Actual Madrid (ESP)
Chelsea are one in every of two surviving English golf equipment left within the competitors.Wanting on the above, this can be a very robust set of groups to beat. Regardless of Benfica maybe being the ‘best’ choice on there, any one in every of these groups are going to be VERY exhausting to beat.
A part of me simply has this sense that as a result of entire Enzo Fernandez switch saga in January, that we’ll face Benfica within the subsequent spherical. Think about that! Or possibly as a result of Romelu Lukaku factor, we get Inter Milan.
Photograph by Marc Atkins through Getty Pictures
The bookies have Chelsea as sixth favourites to win the UCL from the remaining golf equipment, and fairly frankly, I a lot want being the underdogs. Being in opposition to all the percentages, it’s how we gained it in our earlier two instances, and there’s no purpose why we will’t try this once more now this yr.
There are such a lot of parallels with the final two instances we gained this competitors, so many issues really feel the identical. Supervisor adjustments and toxicity on the membership, it’s simply setup for our third UCL win in our historical past, absolutely!?
In fact, I’m dreaming. However we now have to dream large, we now have to perception. The gamers have to do this, the coaches have to do this, they’ve to actually imagine we will win this and battle for each single ball.
I’m in two minds as to who I wish to face within the subsequent spherical. A part of me desires one of many ‘simpler’ groups, fascinated by further prize cash for entering into the semi-finals, and likewise the achievement of getting there and what it will probably do for confidence and morale. However then, there are not any simple groups now in order that is perhaps irrelevant.
The opposite facet of me thinks that if we wish to win the entire thing, then we now have to beat one of the best sooner or later, and we will completely beat any staff on our day. We are able to, we actually can, however we now have to be ‘on our day’ to take action.
it I’d reasonably keep away from one of many ‘large weapons’ like Manchester Metropolis, Bayern, or Actual Madrid. However equally, as we all know, we will knock any of them out on our day. Napoli wont be thought-about a ‘large gun’ actually, however actually, they scare me, they’re on hearth and have targets written throughout them.
European and knockout soccer is so totally different to Premier League matches, and even in all of the turmoil this season, we now have been shining within the UCL. Chelsea should not worry anybody and should imagine they’ll beat any of those groups.
