Chelsea have acquired two massive results over the past seven days by playing error-free, defence-first, but extremely effective football. Come Wednesday night, Jose Mourinho will ask his team for one more such performance when Atletico Madrid visit Stamford Bridge in the Champions League semifinal second leg.
Where to Watch Live:
The semifinal second leg is scheduled for an 8.45 local time (7.45 pm BST, 12.15 am IST, 2.45 pm ET) start with live coverage on Ten Action, Ten Sports and Ten HD in India, Sky Sports 1 in the UK and Fox Sports in US.
The match can be watched via live streaming online in the UK HERE, while India viewers can do the same HERE. Catch the action in the US live online HERE, with audience in Canada able to live stream the action HERE. Catch the second leg in the Middle East and North Africa HERE, while South Africa and Sub Saharan Africa viewers can go to the link HERE. The game can be live streamed in Latin America HERE, while viewers in Australia can go HERE.
The 0-0 away win at Atletico last Tuesday, was followed by a brilliant 2-0 victory over Liverpool at the weekend, where Chelsea made the Great Wall of China look like a sand castle, with even the much-vaunted forward line of the Reds unable to penetrate through.
The spoiling tactics employed by the Chelsea players, where they looked to waste time from minute one at Anfield, will not quite work against Atletico, as the Spanish side are a completely different side. When the two teams were drawn together it was always going to be a war of attrition rather than a "you score and then I'll score" encounter.
The goalless draw at the Vicente Calderon, where neither team looked remotely likely to score in one of the most boring games of football you are ever likely to see in the Champions League, puts the tie very much in the balance.
Chelsea's inability to find an away goal might come back to haunt them, as if Atletico score at Stamford Bridge, it would force the Blues to find at least two against La Liga's best defence.
"They are a good side," Mourinho said of Atletico. "They are not a counterattacking side. They are a good side. They defend well. They score goals. They win matches. They are in the semifinals of the Champions League and need two victories to be Spanish champions.
"I have respect for what they are doing because to be in a Champions League semifinal is not for every club, and to have the possibility of winning the league against Barcelona and Real Madrid is something that deserves my respect."
Mourinho realises the tie is likely be settled by the finest of margins, with both teams' strong point being defence. "It is a knockout game, a game of details, a game where maybe one goal is the difference," the Portuguese added. "It is a game where everybody needs to be at the top level. For the 90 minutes the players are more important than the manager, I trust them a lot and that helps me to be calm.
"At the moment, it is a clean result, it is 0-0 and the chances are equal. We are at home but a score draw is good for them and not for us, you cannot say who has the advantage."
Atletico did not quite find it easy when Chelsea sat back and let them have the ball, asking them to find a way through the blue wall. At home, Chelsea are likely to have more of the possession - with Mourinho you never know of course - and that could just work in the favour of Diego Simeone's side.
"The confidence is always there, especially considering it's a semifinal of the Champions League," Simeon said on Tuesday. "That's already a massive statement. My players are excited and keen. We know we'll have to work hard tomorrow in a very difficult game, and we'll have to put in an enormous effort to get a positive result."
Team news: Chelsea: Mourinho has a couple of key players back with John Terry, who suffered an ankle injury in the first leg, passed fit for the second leg, while Eden Hazard is also available after recovering from a calf injury he sustained early this month. Samuel Eto'o is also expected to be fit after taking part in training on Tuesday, but Petr Cech, who injured his shoulder in the 0-0 draw, is ruled out.
Frank Lampard and John Obi Mikel are suspended, while Nemanja Matic and Mohamed Salah are ineligible.
Atletico Madrid: Javi Manquilo is unlikely to feature due to a neck injury, while captain Gabi misses out through suspension.
Expected lineups: Chelsea: Schwarzer; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta; Ramires, David Luiz; Willian, Oscar, Hazard; Eto'o.
Atletico Madrid: Courtois; Juanfran, Miranda, Godin, Filipe Luis; Tiago, Suarez; Garcia, Diego, Koke; Costa.
