Hakim Ziyech gives his honest assessment regarding the Chelsea vs Real Madrid UEFA Champions League quarter-finals
In conversation with the official Chelsea site, Hakim Ziyech highlights the kind of challenge Chelsea will face as they take on Real Madrid in the quarter-final of the UEFA Champions League.
The Moroccan international has been a dependable option for the Blues this season. He has chipped in with important goals in the Premier League this campaign helping us stack up some much-needed points as we head into the business end of the season.
His precise left-foot curler in the top bin against London rivals Tottenham Hotspur has got to be one of his most cherished goals in recent memory. The 29-year-old has bagged eight goals and provided five assists in 33 matches across all competitions for the Stamford Bridge outfit in the 2021-22 season.
The former Ajax Amsterdam player is majorly deployed as an attacking midfielder but has been used as a right-winger, centre-forward, right-midfielder, central midfielder, left-winger as well as the second striker this season. This goes to show the high levels of versatility that Ziyceh brings to the squad.
Speaking to Chelsea FC official site, The Moroccan attacker highlighted how the situation is quite different as compared to both sides meeting each other in last season’s UCL semi-finals.
‘It’s a totally different situation from last year, a different atmosphere, a different time. They’ve [Real Madrid] also improved as a squad, with some young players as well, so it’s a totally different game than last year. We know how difficult it can be against Real Madrid. We played them in the semi-final last year and now we play them in the last eight, and there will be a crowd back. So the motivation will be different, the discipline should be different, but the most important thing is that you must enjoy it.’
Ziyech’s say on the Chelsea vs Real Madrid clash
The former Ajax player has at times struggled with bouts of inconsistency but has been a great option whenever called upon by Tuchel this campaign. That being said, Ziyech didn’t put up much of a performance against our London rivals Brentford over the weekend.
He would mostly be looking to put that behind him should he get a chance to play against Los Blancos over the span of both legs. The Blues would be looking to put one past their Spanish rivals as they coordinated their exit in the 2020-21 season of the UCL.
Whilst recent history may be on our side, if we’ve learned anything from past experience, it is that you should never write off the 13-time Champions League winners. Perennial winners, the La Liga giants know how to take a mile should Chelsea provide them with an inch.
It is safe to say that there is a different kind of pressure that comes with such a high-profile game but the 29-year-old attacker highlights that the club must do everything they can to enjoy this moment. This seems like really potent advice as players can at times forget to enjoy the beautiful game with the burden of the rising expectations on their shoulders.
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Jorginho was rested in their last Premier League outing and Mateo Kovacic only came on late in the game. This could hopefully give the veteran midfielders some much-needed rest and it is most likely that they may feature in the game against Real Madrid.
It would be interesting to see how we line up against the Spanish club in our quarter-final UCL fixture. Ziyech has shown that he has the quality to put the ball past keepers on several occasions and the supporters would be hoping that he can emulate the same heroics against the Santiago Bernabeu outfit.