https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/2021/05/04/ christensen--we-re-trying-to-be-a-horrible-team Christensen: We can't let them breathe 04 May 2021 Andreas Christensen has spoken about the importance of showing plenty of steel in defence when we face Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals at Stamford Bridge tomorrow evening. https://i.imgur.com/KsONmgp.jpg After a 1-1 draw in last week's first leg in Madrid, Chelsea know that a clean sheet in west London tomorrow will guarantee us a place in the Champions League final, thanks to Christian Pulisic's away goal at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano. According to the centre-back, he isn't feeling any added pressure on the defence due to that fact, and believes the key will be to stay calm and repeat our performance from the first match and our recent games in general. 'We know that we are a difficult team to play against at the moment, but at the same time we have so much quality up front and in the way we play,' Christensen explained. 'So there's no extra pressure from our side, we will just try to do what we normally do, what we've done for so long now, and at the same time show our quality going forward.' He also claimed a big part of that is to continue ensuring we are a team that opponents hate playing against, with that relentless approach without the ball contributing immensely to our impressive number of clean sheets under head coach Thomas Tuchel. 'We changed the system, which obviously worked really well, and every game we are growing, not just as a back five but as a whole team. We're trying to be a very difficult team to play against, a horrible team, and then as soon as we get the ball we want to play good football, quick football, with a lot of energy. 'Everyone's just trying to work on the same idea, there are new ideas coming across that we've tried to take onboard very quickly, and at the moment we're growing and when things work out you gain confidence and you're just trying to do the same things, work on the same things and make things work even better than they are at the moment. https://i.imgur.com/4YBtjm4.jpg Christensen in action in the first leg against Real Madrid 'There's a lot of structure and a lot of discipline involved, especially when we don't have the ball. We want to bring a lot of energy, we can't let them breathe too much. We try to be smart about it so we don't run ourselves out of energy at the top level. As soon as we get the ball we either take it calm or we take a quick decision to play direct. 'Against teams that are used to having the ball a lot, we might need to herd them, if that makes sense, and when we have the ball they might not like to run, so we need to use that. So we are always thinking about what we can do to help ourselves and there's a lot of details to it.' If we are successful in that aim of progressing against Real Madrid, it will mean our first Champions League final appearance since we won the competition for the first time in 2012. Back then, Christensen was on the verge of joining the club as a youngster, with the chance of repeating that success one of the reasons he was keen to come to Stamford Bridge. 'It's something we really want to try and win. That's why we all play football, for these big trophies,' he added. 'I knew already that I was going to go to Chelsea when they won it and I was following it very closely. So I had that hope at the time, and it's still there, that I want to do that too one day. Everyone at the club wants to be part of this history. https://i.imgur.com/hvKmtEG.jpg Pulisic scores our away goal in Madrid 'Obviously I'd just turned 16 so I was quite young and knew it was probably a long road before I could be a part of it, but the quality that was at the club and the whole set-up, that was what got me here in the first place. 'We've been fighting for it again for a long time and it hasn't quite happened, but I think we are in a good position. We have a good balance between the young hunger and the more experienced players. We're definitely looking forward to tomorrow in the sense that it means a lot to us and the club as a whole.' --------------------------------------------------------------------------- https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/2021/05/05/ christensen--playing-with-him-brings-us-confidence Christensen: Playing with him brings us confidence 05 May 2021 Andreas Christensen has discussed the importance of experience in big games and explained why Thiago Silva and Jorginho are so vital to the team ahead of our Champions League semi-final second leg against Real Madrid. https://i.imgur.com/AjeBfmg.jpg With Chelsea holding a narrow away-goal lead following a 1-1 draw in the first game in Spain, we will be attempting to secure our first appearance in the final since we won the competition nine years ago when we host Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge this evening. The Danish defender admitted this could be the biggest match of his career so far and that our opponents' extensive experience of big matches could be a factor, but feels we have the right balance of experience and youth for any occasion. 'It could very well be, it's got massive importance, not just for me but for the whole club,' said Christensen. https://i.imgur.com/UmchhKk.jpg Thiago Silva sticks close to Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema 'They've got huge experience of these kind of games and that can show in a game of this magnitude, but we've been building quite a good balance between the young hunger and the players with experience and we need to bring that balance to the game. That's definitely going to help us.' He also believes the fact that every game we play at the moment, in every competition, feels like such an important fixture will help the Blues to approach it like any other game, concentrating on our performance without being distracted by the occasion. 'It is hard to go into it and play it just like a normal game because we know how much it means to the club, as it's been a while since we've been in this situation. I can only say that we will do everything we can to try and play our game, like we did in the first game. But at the same time it's very difficult. 'We have the FA Cup final, we're fighting for the top four, so every game at the moment is very tough and means a lot, which could probably help us in a situation like this.' One of the players bringing the experience he mentioned to the squad is Thiago Silva, who reached last season's Champions League final with Paris Saint-Germain, although Christensen says the task of keeping our heads under pressure is a team effort. 'It's not just him, it's also working together every day as a unit. Obviously he's going to bring a lot of experience and a lot of calmness in his personality. We have some players who've won a lot and he's one of them. Bringing that in with the other players that have here, we've grown as a team, we've grown as a unit. Everyone has been gaining confidence with every game.' Another player he says helps bring that calm and confidence on the pitch is Jorginho, who he explains is crucial to how we want to play as a team. 'When we don't have the ball we try to be an annoying team, a horrible team to play against, and as soon as we get the ball we want to play football. That's our style and the players we have, that fits us quite well. https://i.imgur.com/F7ETbBJ.jpg Jorginho keeps the ball moving in Madrid 'Jorginho's probably one of the best ball-playing midfielders you can have in your team. He has a lot of confidence in what he does on the pitch and that brings us confidence as well, playing with him. 'He's got a massive part in the way we play and at the same time, when he brings that confidence, he's a leader on the pitch as well, which I hope you can see from the outside. When he brings that calmness and confidence, he just makes the team play better.' -- Burrell: "If the Gods are fucking you, you find a way to fuck them back. It's Baltimore, gentlemen. The Gods will not save you." - The Wire Season 3 Episode 3 --

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