THIAGO SILVA couldn’t contain his emotions as he roared Chelsea into the Champions League quarter-finals.
The defender, who missed out with a thigh injury, watched from the stands as his side ensured their safe passage with a 3-0 aggregate win over Atletico Madrid.
And he had every right to celebrate with Chelsea reaching this stage of the competition for the first time since 2014.
Hakim Ziyech put Chelsea firmly in the driving seat when he finished off a blistering counter-attack in the first half.
But only when Emerson added a second deep into the added time could Silva afford to relax.
After his international compatriot bagged the second, the camera panned to Silva who was celebrating wildly on the stairs.
He turned around and, after a slight slip, was joined by Mason Mount and Jorginho as the trio hugged each other in delight, celebrating like true supporters.
Silva, 36, was animated throughout the contest kicking every ball as Chelsea battled their way to victory.
The defender will be hoping he can finally get his hands on the famous trophy when the final is held in May.
Silva finished runner-up under Thomas Tuchel at Paris Saint-Germain last season.
Their European rivals will want to avoid Chelsea in Friday’s draw as Tuchel continues to work wonders.
The Blues are now 13 games unbeaten under the German boss with six straight clean sheets and just two goals conceded.
And in a good omen for Chelsea, their only two appearances in the European Cup Final have come after managerial changes during the course of a season – under Avram Grant in 2008 and Roberto Di Matteo in 2012.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
