Tuchel lauds team after Chelsea's Champions League win over Atletico Madrid

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has praised his side's performance against Atletico Madrid and has urged his players to be confident in their abilities regardless of the team they are drawn against on Friday.

Chelsea secured a spot in the Champions League quarterfinals after defeating Atletico Madrid with an aggregate score of 3-0.

The Blues defeated Atletico Madrid 1-0 in the first leg of the tie last week before finishing the job with a 2-0 victory on home turf on Wednesday. Goals from Hakim Ziyech and Emerson Palmieri in either half were enough to ensure Chelsea a comfortable win over 10-man Atletico Madrid.

13 - @ChelseaFC are unbeaten in their 13 games under Thomas Tuchel in all competitions, the longest ever unbeaten start by a manager for the Blues in the club's history. Methods. #CHEATM pic.twitter.com/uq5EO4GAdB

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 17, 2021

Tuchel has now gone on to laud and encourage his side ahead of Friday's quarterfinal draw.

“The most important thing is that we feel we deserve this,” said Tuchel.

“The most important thing is that we give the feedback to the guys about what they did here in terms of quality and intensity. It’s most important that you feel it and that no one has to convince you. You need to feel it."

Tuchel continued, “They play with a special bond and performances and results like this give you a certain edge and glue to achieve special things. You can only achieve this through results and experiences."

Tuchel concluded, “It’s a big step, but no need to be afraid, we take what we get and prepare as best as possible.”

Kante is a big helper at Chelsea: Tuchel

Chelsea v Liverpool - Premier League

Chelsea put in a very impressive collective effort to ensure the win, however one player who stood out at Stamford Bridge on the night was N'Golo Kante. The defensive midfielder put in a phenomenal performance against the Spaniards with his seemingly inexhaustible energy levels being key to Chelsea's victory.

13 - N'Golo Kanté recovered possession of the ball 13 times last night against Atlético Madrid, the most ball recoveries by a Chelsea player in a Champions League match since N'Golo Kanté's 13 against Barcelona in February 2018. Omnipresent. pic.twitter.com/RQkmGT1fxj

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 18, 2021

Tuchel singled out the Frenchman for praise after the game, hailing his abilities and has called Kante a "big helper" for his Chelsea side.

“If you play with N'Golo you always play with a minimum half a man more; this is unique,” said Tuchel.

“It is a pleasure to be his coach, he is a big gift for me, a guy so, so humble, and who is such a big helper on the pitch."

“But don’t underestimate his quality in passing, dribbling, and escaping the pressure. Mateo Kovacic and him needed to step up today because we missed Jorginho."

“So they knew we would rely on them, and they delivered.”

Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone also congratulated Chelsea on their win and has called for his side to improve as they look to win Laliga, the only trophy available to them at this stage.

“I think you have to congratulate your opponent when they are the better team,” said Simeone.

“We are not afraid in the slightest of what comes next; we’ve always struggled this season in the Champions League."

“It’s been a tough campaign for us, and of course we weren’t the best team today, Chelsea were."

“We have to improve. We go again from Friday and push on with the same motivation and dedication and the same enthusiasm as we look to focus on the next game.”