When former PSG coach Thomas Tuchel replaced
Chelsea legend Frank Lampard in January, he arrived at Stamford Bridge safe in
the knowledge that his predecessor had safely navigated the Blues through the
group stage and into the Round of 16.
Chelsea have been in excellent form since Tuchel’s arrival and
remain unbeaten, and this week completed a very good 3-0 aggregate win over La
Liga leaders Atlético Madrid to qualify for the last eight of the Champions
League.
Chelsea won the Champions League for the first time back in 2012
under Roberto Di Matteo. Can Thomas Tuchel lead them to their second this season? NZ casino games think he can.
However, as much as Tuchel’s men are in good form and full of
confidence, there are still some very good teams left in the competition, some
of whom have far more Champions League experience than Tuchel’s young charges.
Tuchel’s former club PSG have been in good form under his
replacement Mauricio Pochettino, and they will be buoyed by the way they swept
aside Ronald Koeman’s Barcelona side as they look to secure their first ever
Champions League title.
And it’s not just PSG who are looking
to secure a first Champions League title. Pep Guardiola is looking to deliver a
first for Manchester City. Their form this season has been imperious, and with
the Premier League title all but confirmed, they will be focusing their efforts
on the Champions League.
They breezed past Borussia Mönchengladbach in the Round of
16, and right now, not many would bet against them despite their lack of
Champions League pedigree.
Real Madrid are the most successful
club in the competition’s history, having won it a record thirteen times.
And three of those triumphs have come in recent times under
Zinedine Zidane, and despite their inconsistent form at times this season, they
too have reached the last eight of this season’s competition, confidently and comfortably
dumping Atalanta out in the last round. Given their undoubted pedigree, they
will also be confident of progressing further.
Most people’s favourites though will be reigning champions
Bayern Munich who comfortably swept aside Lazio in the last round, and have
progressed this far without getting out of first gear. With the outstanding
Robert Lewandowski among the goals as usual, Bayern will be confident of
reaching a second successive final.
And although Liverpool, Porto and Borussia Dortmund are perhaps the least fancied sides of those left in the
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovic is hungry for more Champions
League glory, and in Tuchel – who led PSG to last season’s final – he saw a man
who he believed could help him achieve it.
Chelsea have been in fine form since his arrival; if this
continues, they will have a real chance.
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