‘Tough one’ – Thomas Tuchel reacts as holders Chelsea draw Real Madrid in Champions League quarter-finals

Thomas Tuchel says his Chelsea team face a ‘big challenge’ after drawing Real Madrid in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Chelsea avoided Premier League rivals Liverpool and Manchester City in Friday’s draw but may feel slightly aggrieved after being pitted against 13-time winners Real Madrid.

Madrid are currently ten points clear in La Liga and stunned Paris Saint-Germain in the previous round thanks to Karim Benzema’s stunning second-half hat-trick.

Chelsea, though, have enjoyed an impressive European campaign thus far and beat Real Madrid in the semi-finals of last season’s Champions League on their way to lifting the trophy.

Reacting to the draw, Tuchel said on Friday: ‘Tough one. The challenge can not be much higher than playing a second leg in the Bernabeu with spectators.

‘It’s a big challenge but there is big excitement around this match and around this fixture. We know what’s coming. It will be an exciting match and a tough challenge.

‘It’s nice to play a European team and maybe not at this kind of stage a team you’ve played so many times in domestic competitions.’

Elsewhere in the Champions League, Premier League leaders Manchester City face La Liga champions Atletico Madrid, who knocked out Manchester United earlier in the week.

Liverpool, who lifted the trophy in 2019, take on Portuguese side Benfica while Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich meet Unai Emery’s Villarreal.

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