Host Lille In The First Leg Of The Champions League, Tuchel Asks Chelsea To Focus And Not Think About The Carabao Cup

Thomas Tuchel (Twitter.com/@chelseafc)

JAKARTA - Chelsea will host LOSC Lille in the first leg of the 2021/2022 Champions League last 16 on Wednesday, February 23 at 03.00 WIB. Ahead of the match at Stamford Bridge, Thomas Tuchel as the Blues coach asked his team to stay focused.

The message was conveyed by Tuchel considering that Chelsea are currently facing a busy schedule. In fact, they will be waiting for Liverpool this weekend in the Carabao Cup final.

Even though his team faces a busy and tough schedule, Tuchel ensures that his team's focus will not be divided. He said the Blues will concentrate on each game one by one.

"We will take it game by game. We try to always do our best. One way is to keep our focus on every game, not worrying about the picture of the other game (the Carabao Cup) because it will be a hassle," Tuchel said at his pre-match press conference.

The German manager assesses the busy and heavy schedule they currently have is a good sign. Because that way, they still have a chance to win many titles this season.

Tuchel also reiterated that their target this season is to win more titles than last season.

"On the other hand, it's a nice thing because it means we're still in a lot of competition and that's our target. It also shows that we are still competitive."

This season Chelsea have shown their seriousness by bagging two championship trophies. The Blues won the European Super Cup at the start of the season and just won the Club World Cup which was held in the United Arab Emirates in the middle of last month.

This achievement can still continue to grow with the opportunity to win the Premier League title, Carabao Cup and FA Cup in domestic competitions. They also have the opportunity to defend the Champions League title this season.

Regarding the number of competitions his team has undergone, Tuchel stated that each competition has its own character. Therefore, the coach emphasized that the team needs a different preparation and focus on each match they will face in the future.

"There is a big difference between all of these knockout games, the semi-final and final in Abu Dhabi (Club World Cup), the final in the Carabao Cup, the knockout in the FA Cup, it's a bit different," Tuchel said.

"The Premier League is a marathon, it's not about knockout games, it's about consistency. So it changes a lot and we have to adapt because this is our schedule."

"In terms of team management, we are not thinking ahead in the match. We try to present the best group tomorrow that best suits what we want to implement on the pitch and then we will take care of the upcoming matches," he said.