CHELSEA saw off Atletico Madrid in the Champions League to reach the quarter finals for the first time since 2014.
Looking at the fixture, Chelsea were clearly the underdogs. When they had the draw they were placed mid-table in the Premier League and struggling to climb it under Frank Lampard.
Since Thomas Tuchel arrived at the club things have improved and the Blues sit in fourth place in the Premier League.
Yet still, they were still unfancied in this fixture coming up against a team who currently sit top of LaLiga.
But Tuchel’s side did not concede a goal during the two legs and won 3-0 on aggregate.
Both games were easy for them, and it didn’t look like they were up against a team currently having a better season than the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Chelsea proved tonight that the Premier League is right up there as one of the toughest leagues in the world.
This was a great endorsement for English football, as the Blues simply pushed aside a team sitting top of La Liga.
Atletico have only lost two matches in the league all season, and Chelsea have beaten them twice in their last two meetings, simply incredible.
Tuchel now goes 13 games unbeaten, collecting 11 clean sheets along the way.
But they made it look like they were knocking Accrington Stanley out of the Champions League tonight, not Atletico Madrid.
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This is not saying that Atletico were even that bad, this is simply saying just how colossal Chelsea were over the two legs and really announced themselves as contenders for the trophy.
Not only have they built a solid foundation in terms of a defensive unit, as the games go on their attackers are starting to look more and more convincing and full of confidence.
Hakim Ziyech turned up tonight, and Timo Werner and Kai Havertz are getting better by the day.
Antonio Rudiger was a different kind of beast tonight, and N’Golo Kante was purely world class.
It was one of those nights where you found it impossible to choose a man of match, because every player was absolutely class.
No team will want to face Chelsea in the next round, and that says it all!
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
