admin
MADRID. — Chelsea coach Thomas Tuchel said his side should have wrapped up their Champions League semi-final first leg with Real Madrid in the first half on Tuesday night.
He rued missed chances in the 1-1 draw that could have put the game beyond their opponents.
United States forward Christian Pulisic fired Chelsea in front in the 14th minute and the visitors created plenty more opportunities in the first half as 13-times winners Real struggled to make any inroads at the other end.
Yet, Chelsea’s inability to score a second away goal proved costly as Karim Benzema’s fine effort levelled things up before the break with his side’s only shot on target in the opening period.
“I have a feeling we should have won the first half and we could have perhaps decided this game in the first half an hour when we were playing so strong,” Tuchel told the BBC.
“The second half was a tactical game and you could feel we only had two days in between two away games which made it physically and mentally demanding and you could feel it in the decision making.
“We suffered a bit and an extra day would have been nice.” Tuchel says his side will now have to “fight for every centimetre” when they host Real Madrid in their Champions League semi-final second leg next week.
Tuchel knows there is plenty more work to do if they are to reach a first final since winning in 2012.
“Even if we had won here, everything is possible,” he said.
“It’s half-time and we’ll have to fight for every centimetre and every advantage that we want to have and we need to fight and deserve it.”
Timo Werner failed to take a glorious chance to score before Pulisic’s opener as his shot from four yards out was saved.
Werner, who has 11 goals in all competitions for Chelsea this season, scored the winner against West Ham in the Premier League at the weekend but also missed a big chance in that game. “He missed a big one at West Ham and he missed a big one here but it is nothing to cry about,” Tuchel said.
“This is the best thing about sport, nobody cares tomorrow. He is maybe angry.”
Tuchel continued his fine record against Zinedine Zidane’s side in Europe’s premier club competition — the German is the only manager to face Real as many as five times without ever losing in Champions League history. — AFP.
Online Reporter