Kepa Arrizabalaga believes Chelsea’s impressive form in the Champions League this season should serve as a confidence booster ahead of tonight’s quarter-final first leg against Real Madrid.
The Blues have been indifferent domestically, but from the moment we beat AC Milan 3-0 in early October we have come to life in Europe. We won the return game in the San Siro 2-0, and then ended RB Salzburg’s long unbeaten home run in Europe.
There followed the last-16 tie against Borussia Dortmund, a 2-1 aggregate win with a rousing second leg. Kepa takes up the story.
‘There was a long time to wait until we played them,’ he pointed out.
'They headed into the tie in great shape. After the World Cup, they had won 10 matches out of 10. When we played against them at Signal Iduna Park, we had a lot of chances; we performed well despite the result. So, we left with the feeling that we could have got a better result.
‘We played the second leg at home in front of our fans, and we did know that it was a very important match for us in which we would need the support of all the fans and the team. The atmosphere was a Champions League night where you can’t sleep once you get home.
‘Everything went well. I think we showed our strengths. We knew how to play the match against a strong team with great players who were in great form. It shows we are performing really well in the Champions League.’
The Blues will need more of the same tonight. Real Madrid may be well off the pace in La Liga, but they remain a force to be reckoned with in Europe. The manner in which they made light work of Liverpool in the round of 16 is proof of that, but Kepa is confident Chelsea can once again prove more than a match for the holders.
‘We are not here to make up the numbers,’ he stressed.
‘In our minds, obviously, we know that we are playing in the Champions League, and we know the respect it deserves. If you only have a poor 20-minute spell over the course of a tie – or even less – you can be knocked out. We are well aware of it.
‘So, we are respectful of the competition. But we are among the last remaining eight teams, so it’s obvious that we are dreaming of winning the Champions League. We know how difficult it is, but we are going to do all we can. We take it step by step, match by match, to try to go as far as possible.’