Thomas Tuchel of Chelsea hesitant to throw the sink at Juventus in the Champions League
Speaking in the pre-match press conference (h/t Football.London), Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has revealed that he will not go all the way to try and win against Juventus in the Champions League. His team will host the game at Stamford Bridge to try and gain the top spot in the group.
Coming into this game, Juve have a perfect record and tops the group with 12 points, whereas the Blues are in second with nine points from four games. Tuchel’s side lost the reverse fixture by 1-0 at Turin thanks to a goal from Federico Chiesa.
The Blues boss was asked how important it is for him to top the group since it would help them get an easier draw. He replied that they would give their best to try and win each game regardless of how important the match is.
Tuchel admits that Chelsea will play the game the same way they approach any other one, with the intention of winning. However, he will not take any undue risks that could jeopardize their chances of qualification.
“First and foremost, we do what we do. When we play football games, we try to win them. This is what we do and this will not change.”
Funnily enough, the German coach mentioned that he would hesitate to allow Edouard Mendy to go for a corner if the game is in the final stages. He added that he would not risk the team’s chances of qualification in such a situation.
“Ok later in the game, if the scoresheet is a draw, we will maybe not allow Edou Mendy to go into the opponents’ box when we have a late corner because we will not risk our qualification and go all-in.”
It is hilarious that the Chelsea boss has to worry about their qualification to such an extreme extent. But at the same time, it shows that he does not take things for granted until it is guaranteed. Some would argue how the lack of concern about a second-place finish shows him not being fazed by a tough draw.
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All in all, with a six-point gap between his team and Zenit Saint Petersburg in third place, Tuchel’s side would have to go on a dramatic bad run of form to not qualify for the knockout stages.