https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/2021/02/22/
azpilicueta-champions-league-press-conference-atletico-madrid
Azpilicueta on Atletico's threats, keeping Luis Suarez in check and his
ambition to win an elusive Champions League
22 Feb 2021
There may be no return to Spain for Cesar Azpilicueta tomorrow but the
opportunity to face La Liga's outstanding side and continue our Champions
League adventure into the knockout stages is one that is eagerly
anticipated by the Chelsea captain.
https://i.imgur.com/dRS2uMC.jpg
When the last-16 draw was made back in December, it paired the Blues with
Diego Simeone's men for our second meeting in four seasons and presented
the chance for Azpilicueta to return to his homeland for the first leg.
Born and raised 400km north of Madrid in Pamplona, the defender came
through the ranks at Osasuna and enjoyed plenty of domestic battles with
the capital's big two. Spanish government restrictions have resulted in
the game taking place in Bucharest instead, the latest compromise made to
keep elite football rolling.
'It would have been nice to play in Madrid with the fans but I'm afraid
this is the situation we have to deal with,' reflected Azpilicueta in a
press conference at Cobham this afternoon prior to the team travelling to
Romania.
'It's been nearly a year now that we've been playing without fans so we
just have to adapt really. I don't really know if it's better or worse [to
play in Bucharest] but that's the situation.'
Regardless of which city the game is played in, Atletico are sure to be
formidable opponents. League leaders in Spain since Christmas, they have
conceded just 16 goals in 23 La Liga matches, having also added Luis
Suarez to an attacking unit featuring Joao Felix, Angel Correa and Yannick
Carrasco.
They may have lost in the league at the weekend, their first defeat since
the Round of 16 draw was made, but Azpilicueta is under no illusions how
tough an opponent they will be.
'They're a very solid team, top of the league in Spain and that's well
deserved,' he explained. 'Even though they lost last weekend at home, we
know that we are facing a very strong team with experience in the
competition, with a manager that they have been working together with for
a few years.
https://i.imgur.com/ZmpdfvJ.jpg
'We have to try to play our game - to control the game, try to create
chances, be clinical up front and defend well.'
Defending well means keeping Suarez in check. The Uruguayan has 16 goals
in all competitions so far this season and blunting his threat will prove
crucial if the Blues are to progress through to the quarter-finals.
Azpilicueta recalls memorable past meetings with the 34-year-old and
suggests it will be a job for everybody in the team to keep him quiet at
the National Arena in Bucharest tomorrow night.
'The best way to defend against him is to keep him as far as possible from
the goal and that's a collective job,' added the skipper. 'I faced him
when he was at Liverpool and Barcelona in the Champions League so I know
he's a great striker.
https://i.imgur.com/gQcICCZ.jpg
Going up against Suarez three months into his Blues career in 2012
'We know his numbers and we know wherever he has played, he has scored
lots of goals so we have to try to defend against him together and keep
all their attacking players away from our goal.'
It will be nine years this summer since a fresh-faced Azpilicueta arrived
in west London to sign for the reigning European champions. During that
time, we have advanced beyond the last-16 just once, falling at the
semi-final stage in 2013/14 to Atletico.
Azpilicueta struggles to hide his personal disappointment at that record,
winning the biggest prize in European football clearly still a burning
ambition for the Spaniard.
'When I joined Chelsea in 2012 after the club had won the Champions
League, of course it was my aim to repeat that,' he added.
https://i.imgur.com/krLRsWo.jpg
Azpi has won two Europa Leagues but progressed past the Champions League
last-16 once in his time at Chelsea
'It's something that sticks inside and every year when the chance comes,
we want to go further. It's the biggest competition in Europe so we know
it's vey tough and as a group we have to be ready for the challenge.
'For me, it's something that's in me and hopefully we can start from
tomorrow by having a good game, a good result and then we'll see how far
we can go.'