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Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has revealed that he has been deploying club captain Cesar Azpilicueta out of his preferred position due to his reliability and strong team spirit.
Azpilicueta, who can play as both a right-back and a centre-back, has often been played as a right wing-back by Tuchel this term. This has majorly been the case because of Reece James' injury problems.
To his credit, the Spaniard has responded well. He put in another assured display for the Blues against LOSC Lille last night (17 March) in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16. Azpilicueta scored his side's winner in a 2-1 victory on the night, racing into the box to meet Mason Mount's cross. He also recorded two tackles and a block while completing 96% of his passes.
Speaking after the match, Tuchel praised the veteran, saying (as quoted by The Chelsea Chronicle):
“He needs to play all the time wing-back, which is maybe not his very best position, but he’s there and he just lives on a daily basis what it takes to be Chelsea captain. He’s a legend already in the club and this is what we need. I don’t think we need extra, extra, extra at the moment.”
The German tactician added:
“We just need a reliable attitude, reliable teamwork, reliable spirit and this is what we have and what we rely on and Azpi is a huge part of that.”
The Spaniard is truly a legend at the club, playing in his 11th season with the Blues. He has made a mammoth 463 appearances across competitions, winning the Premier League title twice, the UEFA Europa League twice and the Champions League once.
Chelsea beat Lille to book Champions League quarterfinal berth
Chelsea held a solid lead heading into the second leg of their Champions League Round of 16 tie against Lille, having won the first leg 2-0 at Stamford Bridge.
However, the reigning Ligue 1 champions wiped out half of the Blues' advantage in the first half. Burak Yilmaz put the French side ahead in the 38th minute from the penalty spot after Jorginho was ruled to have handled the ball in the box.
Tuchel's side then managed to calm the away fans' nerves at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy via a Christian Pulisic goal just before the break. Jorginho was at the center of it all again, laying out an excellent pass for the USA international to finish clinically.
Azpilicueta then joined the party, striking in the 71st minute to put the tie to bed once and for all. His goal gave Chelsea a 4-1 victory on aggregate and ensured their progression into the quarterfinals of the Champions League.
The Blues will get to know their opponents in the last eight on Friday (18 March).
