https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/2022/04/11/ kovacic-on-tuchel-s-team-meeting-and-drawing-on-inspiration-from Kovacic on Tuchel's team meeting and drawing on inspiration from historic European comebacks 11 Apr 2022 Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic admits the team meeting following the first leg defeat to Real Madrid helped give the group a much-needed lift ahead of last weekend's win at Southampton. https://i.imgur.com/UfjO1sM.jpg The Blues were defeated in our first two games following the international break before returning to winning ways in style with the 6-0 thumping at St Mary's and the Croatian believes analysing the Champions League loss to the Spanish side was pivotal to our reaction on Saturday. 'It is never easy to come back after an international break, but it is not an excuse that we underperformed in the last two games. It was necessary to have the talk, to see where we can do better and where we did good,' Mateo says. https://i.imgur.com/t1k1Tu6.jpg Kova in action in the first leg at the Bridge 'It was a good meeting which is always important, as it gave us a good lift. We were ready for the game against Southampton and we need to do the same tomorrow evening. 'Of course, we have our chances [of progressing] and we're motivated to show our best tomorrow. We didn't have our best game and the result was not good in the last game but there is hope. It will be a quality game and we're looking forward to it.' Kovacic was a half-time substitute in the first leg at Stamford Bridge last Wednesday and while admitting his disappointment at not playing from the start, he says he has full confidence in the manager's selection. 'It's always difficult when you don't play, no matter the opponent,' the midfielder added. 'The manager always decides who will play and who will not. 'I was prepared to come in when it is ready for my call because we are a team, and you cannot play twenty players at once. The most important thing is that we are together and ready to show our best tomorrow.' The Blues will need to win the tie at the Santiago Bernabeu by three goals or more in normal time to progress to the last four of the competition, and Mateo draws on a number of historical comebacks in European competition, from both Real and Chelsea, as motivation. 'There have been many comebacks and I was included in one!' Kova explains. 'In the 2015/16 season, we [Real Madrid] lost the first game 2-0 at Wolfsburg and we came to the Bernabeu and we won 3-0. https://i.imgur.com/zQ3xBmU.jpg The moment Branislav Ivanovic's goal completed a monumental comeback against Napoli 'I also saw the other day the game when Chelsea played against Napoli. We lost 3-1 at Napoli and at Stamford Bridge we came back [to win 5-4]. Football is always surprising, and of course we need to be ready more than 100 per cent to be able to complete a comeback.' -- "Fighting the war on drugs... one brutality case at a time." "Girl, you can't even call this shit a war." "Why not?" "Wars end." - The Wire: Season 1, Episode 1 --

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