Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta is under no illusion tonight’s stellar Champions League tie with Borussia Dortmund is going to be a huge challenge for this Chelsea side, but he believes we have all the tools to take a healthy advantage back to Stamford Bridge for the second leg.
Dortmund have won all six of their matches since the World Cup, five in the Bundesliga where they now sit third, three points off top.
Graham Potter’s side have played eight matches across the same period – winning twice, drawing four but will look to pick up where we left off in Europe, where we won four of six Group E contests.
To assist with that, the Blues have three new January recruits among our 23-man squad for the tie with Edin Terzic’s men.
‘It has been a bit of a busier January transfer window than before,' Azpilicueta says. 'I have tired to help them adapt because in football, sometimes you do not have a lot of time to start your journey at a new club and country.
‘From my side I am trying to help them integrate into the team, so they can express themselves and show their qualities, because we have some exciting times ahead.
‘It is a challenge and something I enjoy, to try to explain to the new guys and show them what Chelsea is about, the trophies we have won and the ones we want to win again.
‘We have had a lot of new, young players with different profiles to our signings in the past. It is about the present and future, and now it is time for us to show we are ready to win trophies.
‘We’ve had a lot of new players coming in, some with great experience at the highest level. It is the situation we are in, but they have had a big impact on the team as well, which is what we want.’
Azpilicueta has also spoken about the winning mentality within the side when it comes to these European nights, stating a first match in Europe since late October offers the side a clean slate to correct our domestic form.
‘I have never arrived at a Champions League game thinking we cannot win, and this is no exception. Of course, we are not in the best form, but it is a new competition, and we have to prove it on the pitch. It is not worth looking too far ahead.
‘I am not surprised we aren’t the favourites [to win the competition] from the outside, but what counts is on the pitch and we have to show we deserve to be in the next round. The reality is on the pitch, and it is up to us to be ready for the challenge.’