Tuchel struggles first: Chelsea are very close to the semi-finals


But Tuchel quarrels first
Chelsea are very close to the semi-finals

It’s not a brilliant performance, but Chelsea FC has one leg in the semi-finals of the Champions League. In Seville, but against FC Porto, Thomas Tuchel’s team impressed above all with their effectiveness in front of the opposing goal.

Chelsea FC opened the door to their first semi-final in the Champions League in seven years. In the quarter-final first leg in Seville, the team of team manager Thomas Tuchel won 2-0 (1-0) despite a by no means sovereign performance at the nominal hosts FC Porto.

Mason Mount (32nd) and Ben Chilwell (85th) scored the goals for the Blues, in which the national players Timo Werner, Kai Havertz and Antonio Rüdiger were in the starting line-up. The second leg in the same place will take place next Tuesday. The winner will face the winner of the duel between record winners Real Madrid and Liverpool FC (first leg 3: 1) in the semifinals.

After the surprising 5-2 defeat in the Premier League against West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, Tuchel appealed to his players not to “lose your head”. The first defeat in the 15th game under the German coach was still in the clothes of the Londoners.

Chelsea offensive effectively

Porto, the 2004 premier class winners, showed refreshing football right from the start and initially barely let Chelsea develop. Tuchel quarreled audibly in the empty Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, repeatedly sank into his upholstered coach seat – and was amazed when his team took the lead with the first good attack and the first shot on the opponent’s goal.

A nice pass from Jorginho into the intersection of the defense was enough, Mount took the ball, turned in one smooth motion and hit the far corner dryly. The three Germans remained pale for a long time, the recently repeatedly criticized Werner headed over the gate in the 47th minute. Havertz, called up in the attack center, had a noticeable scene after an hour on a pass from ex-Leipzig’s Werner – but he was offside. The duo was changed after 65 minutes.

Porto, who pulled the tooth in two close matches in the round of 16 Juventus Turin and superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, stayed tuned and kept coming up with opportunities against the vulnerable Chelsea defensive association. But Chelsea countered: The ex-Dortmund substitute Christian Pulisic hit the crossbar (84th), shortly afterwards Chilwell struck.

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