- Ali
Chelsea progressed through to the semi-finals of the Champions League after losing 1-0 to Porto. The Blues had won the first leg 0-2 thanks to goals from Mason Mount and Ben Chilwell. The Dragons played very well and they were more dangerous on the night but their first goal came very late. Thus Chelsea managed to win the quarter-final tie on aggregate by 2-1.
Tuchel’s side only managed one shot on target out of the eight shots they had in the game. While Porto had two shots on target out of which one went in. They also had more possession with 54% as Blues managed 46% possession.
After the final whistle, there were some tensions between Tuchel and Sergio Conceicao. It could be seen that the fourth official was trying to keep things between the pair after the final whistle.
It was suggested that there was friction between the two after a penalty appeal when Rudiger grabbed Evanilson. However, that has been refuted. Even after the game, there was a bit of feud between Chelsea and Porto players.
The Portuguese has alleged that Thomas Tuchel verbally insulted him after the final whistle. This was claimed by the Porto manager in his post-match interview. He gave his post-match interview to TVI and his interview was translated by newspaper O Jogo.
This was what Conceicao has said- “It wasn’t like that [the words didn’t have to do with the alleged penalty]. I was insulted by this man next door [Thomas Tuchel]. I told the referee that the fourth referee heard the insults.”
So far there haven’t been any questions asked to Tuchel on this issue. The German admitted that the tie over the two legs wasn’t entertaining. But for him, it was great as he was on the sidelines in-game which was very intense and fast. He also praised his team for the victory.
“We accepted what was needed was a tough, tough fight. Maybe on the television, it was not so nice to watch but on the sidelines, it was a very intense game, a very fast game. You have to accept that things will be hard. We defended well and deserved a clean sheet. We had the better chances.“
The Blues have now booked a place in the semi-finals of the Champions League. It is after seven years that they have reached this stage of the competition. Chelsea will take on the winner between Liverpool and Real Madrid in the semi-final.
On the weekend there will be no Premier League action for them. They will now travel to Wembley Stadium on Saturday to take on Manchester City in the semi-finals of the FA Cup. Chelsea are a big test for Pep Guardiola in his quest for a historic quadruple. The winner of this semi-final will take on the winner of Leicester City and Southampton in the final.
As the Londoners will be busy in the FA Cup, their rivals will have a chance to get ahead of them. The place for the top four is very tight right now. The likes of Tottenham, West Ham, Liverpool all are chasing fourth place. Tuchel’s side just two points ahead of Liverpool with 54 points. While the Hammers are one point ahead of Chelsea with 55 points.
As for Chelsea fans, they are absolutely loving every moment under Thomas Tuchel. It would hardly matter to them if the German is involved in a verbal spat till the time they are winning games. The former Dortmund manager has been more defensive in his approach. However for the Blues fans what matters is the final product. Tuchel is more pragmatic and knows how to get the job done.