Michael Essien Rates Chelsea's Chances of Winning Champions League After Porto Win
- Chelsea are on course to qualifying for this season's Champions League semi-finals after beating Porto in the first leg of the last eight
- Mason Mount and Ben Chilwell scored a goal each in either half to inspire the Blues to a crucial win
- Essien has now backed his former side to go all the way in the competition, hailing Tuchel as the right man for the job
PAY ATTENTION: Join Legit.ng Telegram channel! Never miss important updates!
Chelsea legend Michael Essien has said the club has everything it takes to win the Champions League this season.
Source: UGC
The Blues already have one foot in the competition's semis after seeing off FC Porto in the first leg of their quarter-final tie on Wednesday, April 7.
Mason Mount and Ben Chilwell scored a goal each in either half of the match played at Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium to set the west Londoners on course to booking a place in the last four.
The crucial win came just days after the Stamford Bridge dwellers suffered a 5-2 shock defeat in the hands of West Bromwich Albion at the weekend.
The defeat was their first under new manager Thomas Tuchel who took over late January after succeeding Frank Lampard who was sacked after a string of poor results.
However, they dusted off themselves to stun Porto in Seville, and now look to get the job done in the second leg scheduled for next week.
Should they eliminate the Portuguese side, they will face the winner between Real Madrid and Liverpool in the semis.
Esssien, who won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2012, believes his former side have the ability to go all the way in the competition this term.
"I think they can win it," Essien told talkSPORT.
"If they win the Champions League that would be a great achievement for the players and the football club," he added.
The former Ghana international further took time to hail Tuchel following a successful tenure thus far, noting the German is the right man for the job.
"He’s come in and is doing a great job at the moment. I think he’s the right man for the team," the legendary midfielder noted.
"We just have to support him and wish him very well. Hopefully he can continue the good job he’s doing at the moment with the football club and the players he’s got," he continued.
Before the West Brom defeat, Chelsea were on a 14-game unbeaten streak that saw them momentarily break into the top four.
They currently sit fifth on the Premier League standings with 51 points, one behind fourth-placed West Ham United.
Source: Legit.ng
Ibitoye Shittu Ibitoye Shittu is an award-winning Sports Journalist with more than 10 years of experience in News-writing, reporting and Public Relations. He is a B.SC holder in Mass Communication and can be reached on Twitter @ibishittu
Khadijah Thabit (Copyeditor) Khadijah Thabit is an editor with over 3 years of experience editing and managing contents such as articles, blogs, newsletters and social leads. She has a BA in English and Literary Studies from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Khadijah joined Legit.ng in September 2020 as a copyeditor and proofreader for the Human Interest, Current Affairs, Business, Sports and PR desks. As a grammar police, she develops her skills by reading novels and dictionaries. Email: khadeeejathabit@gmail.com
