‘We showed we’re capable’; Chelsea star opens up on CL chances as Aguero predicts eight-way battle

Marcos Alonso feels Chelsea have shown themselves capable of progressing in the Champions League but agrees with Sergio Aguero that there are no favourites.

The Blues are the defending Champions in Europe’s elite club competition. And the defence of their crown is still very much alive after moving past Lille in the round of 16. A 2-1 victory in France followed a 2-0 home triumph, giving Thomas Tuchel’s side a comfortable passage into the quarter-finals.

Things are about to get much tougher, with 13-time European champions Real Madrid next on the agenda. Los Blancos are flying high at the top of LaLiga.

Carlo Ancelotti’s men are nine points clear of the chasing pack. However, they were thrashed 4-0 at home by fierce rival Barcelona in El Clasico last Sunday.

The pressure will be on when they arrive at Stamford Bridge on April 6 and for the return leg in Spain on April 12. Aguero has now retired from the sport but still keeps a keen eye on the European game.

And he believes, with the usual suspects still involved, it as anyone’s tournament.

“All of the Champions League quarter-finals will be very close matches. These are the eight best teams in Europe and anything can happen,” he told Stake.com.

“You could have guessed from the start that these eight teams will have been the ones in the quarter-finals, Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Benfica, Atletico Madrid and Villarreal.

“There are no easy matches in the Champions League and even less so in these knockout ties. All the teams are heavy-hitters and from now on, every game will be played with the importance of a final.”

Chelsea have been hit by the sanctions imposed on Roman Abramovich. But it seems to have galvanised the squad, with six