Sometimes there are little wins hidden inside losses, and it’s difficult not to believe Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel will drag a lot of tiny w’s out of the Blues’ Champions League defense ending in Spain on Tuesday.
The Blues lost to Real Madrid 5-4 over two legs despite beating La Liga’s leaders 3-2 in the second leg at the Bernabeu, and Tuchel’s men out-attempted Real 28-10 on the evening and 48-18 over 210 minutes.
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And Chelsea going into the Bernabeu down two goals and scoring the game’s first three markers isn’t escaping the attention of many, including former Blues and Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas.
Also a former Barcelona man, currently at Monaco, Fabregas said Chelsea are “blessed” to have Tuchel at the reins. The club won the Champions League in Tuchel’s first season and will be widely considered unlucky to go out at the quarterfinal stage in his second.
Whatever happens. @ChelseaFC are blessed with Thomas Tuchel. What a manager.
— Cesc Fàbregas Soler (@cesc4official) April 12, 2022
What did Thomas Tuchel say after Chelsea exited the Champions League?
“These are the kind of defeats you can take with pride as a sportsman,” Tuchel said after the match.
And Tuchel also felt like his team could’ve emerged victorious without the challenges that come from the Bernabeu, as the German felt some significant decisions were incorrectly given in Real’s favor.
“When you play against Real Madrid, maybe you don’t expect everyone has the courage,” Tuchel said. “I felt the little decisions in the first leg and today as well. I didn’t see the goal but I am super disappointed he didn’t come out and check it on its own. You should stay the boss and not give the decisions to someone in a chair and who is isolated.”
All told, Tuchel was ready to put a bow on the whole affair by saying the Blues just didn’t get the bounces.
“We were unlucky,” Tuchel said. “That is why we are disappointed. We got beaten by individual quality and conversion. We made two mistakes, two ball losses. We deserved to go through after this match today. It was not meant to be.”
