knockout rounds started in February. There had been some tactical misgivings about the way Lampard had been setting out his team towards the end of 2020. By late January, with Chelsea having won only two of the previous eight league games, Lampard was let go and Tuchel was brought in to save the season. The German head coach had lost the Champions League Final the season before with PSG, but getting anywhere near the final again seemed to be very far down on his list of priorities. But, as performances and results vastly improved in the domestic league and cup competitions, Chelsea also kicked into another gear in the Champions League. The Round of 16 draw saw Chelsea heading to Bucharest [because of COVID travel restrictions] to take on Atletico Madrid. Not many gave the English club a chance against Diego Simeone’s famously tight defensive side, yet a stunning overhead goal in the second half from Oliver Giroud gave Chelsea the victory. But even that away goal seemed not to be enough ahead of the second leg. However, in a far more open game – and cheered on by a very animated Thiago Silva in the stands – Chelsea’s forwards were just too much for Atletico and goals from Hakim Ziyech and Emerson saw them through to the quarter-final stage. With the draw for the last eight and the semifinals being made at the same time, Chelsea discovered their potential route to the final in the middle of March. Of the eight clubs remaining, Porto was probably the best draw Tuchel could have hoped for. But he also found out that if his side were to progress to the last four, they would be facing the winner of the Real Madrid vs. Liverpool tie. Due to the continuing travel restrictions, both quarter-final legs were played at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium, scene of Chelsea’s comprehensive victory over Sevilla in the group stage. It was a gritty display from Chelsea in the first leg, with Porto probably enjoying more of the game until Mason Mount’s goal on the half hour. A second from Ben Chilwell just before the end gave Chelsea the win and a very good first leg lead. A far quieter second game was punctuated by a spectacular goal from Porto in stoppage time. But by then the tie had been won and Chelsea was heading for their first Champions League semi-final since 2014. Their opponents would be Real Madrid, who had beaten Liverpool in the quarter-finals. With Manchester City drawn against PSG in the other semi, the all-Premier League final was still on. But Tuchel would need to use all his tactical nous to overcome a Real Madrid side that had forced their way back into the running in La Liga and fancied adding another Champions League triumph to their long list of honours. Real Madrid played their entire season in the smaller stadium at their training complex because of COVID and the lack of fans at
BEST ELEVEN
THERE WERE SOME IMPRESSIVE INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES IN THE 2020-21 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE. DAN ROBERTS PICKS OUT A LOP-SIDED XI OF THE PLAYERS WHO CAUGHT THE EYE THE MOST…
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SOCCER360 JULY • AUGUST 2021
GOALKEEPER: EDOUARD MENDY – CHELSEA The Chelsea shotstopper just pips Manchester City’s Ederson to the No 1 jersey after keeping an incredible nine clean sheets in 12 Champions League games – including the final.
‘BY LATE JANUARY FRANK LAMPARD WAS LET GO AND THOMAS TUCHEL WAS BROUGHT IN TO SAVE THE SEASON’
DEFENDER: CESAR AZPILICUETA – CHELSEA The Chelsea captain, who eventually lifted the famous trophy in Porto, led by example throughout the competition and consistently did the ‘boring’ work while others in the squad made the headlines.
DEFENDER: RUBEN DIAS – MANCHESTER CITY Pep Guardiola relied on his Portuguese defender for the majority of the season and he was a major reason why the club won the Premier League title. He was let down by his manager’s formation in the final, though.
DEFENDER: MARQIUNHOS – PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN One of the less celebrated players in the PSG squad, Marquinhos is just about an ever present in the first team and even popped up with important goals throughout a Champions League campaign that fell just short.
DEFENDER: ANTONIO RUDIGER – CHELSEA Rudiger is just one of a number of players given a new lease of life by Thomas Tuchel when he took over as head coach at Chelsea. The Germany international was a rock at the back for his club.
