Team news and stats ahead of Chelsea vs Atletico Madrid in the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday; Kick-off at 8pm.
Team news
Chelsea are without injured duo Thiago Silva and Tammy Abraham for Wednesday’s Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid.
Defender Silva has yet to shake off a thigh complaint, while striker Abraham continues to battle an ankle issue, though both are expected to be fit for club action after the international break.
Midfielders Mason Mount and Jorginho will miss the last-16 second-leg encounter due to suspension.
Atletico Madrid have no fresh injury concerns ahead of the trip to Stamford Bridge and will be boosted by the return of Kieran Tripper from a 10-week suspension for gambling breaches.
Diego Simeone has Yannick Carrasco and Jose Gimenez back for the second leg and has confirmed Joao Felix will start as Atletico look to overturn the first-leg lead Olivier Giroud’s acrobatic bicycle kick handed Chelsea in Bucharest three weeks ago.
The managers
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel: “With Simeone, they are one of the toughest teams to beat, this is their characteristic – discipline, hard-working and organised defence.
“They have incredible quality to attack and to play a possession game, they are a complete squad.”
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Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel says he is happy with his forward options despite his side struggling to find form in front of goal since his arrival at Stamford Bridge
Atletico Madrid head coach Diego Simeone: “Joao Felix, as we have always mentioned, is a really important player. He is going to play from the beginning. Joao has had a really high-quality start to the season. He is the talk of our team and we need this player.
“All footballers have different stages throughout their professional career, especially when they are young, where they dip. But as you heard from him there is nothing more needed from his personality.
“Ahead of the Champions League and La Liga matches, we have to ensure that as a 21-year-old that he has that will that he needs to have to reach the point where he needs to be.”
Opta stats
- Chelsea have won one of their three home UEFA Champions League matches against Atlético Madrid (D1 L1), a 4-0 win in the 2009-10 group stages. Their one home defeat was in the second leg of the semi-final in 2013-14, losing 3-1.
- Atlético Madrid have lost three UEFA Champions League matches against Chelsea, their joint-most against an opponent along with Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.
- In their history in European competition, Chelsea have never been eliminated in a two-legged knockout tie after winning the first leg away from home (progressed from all 13). The two occasions they’ve been knocked out of the UEFA Champions League after winning the first leg are in 1999-00 vs Barcelona in the quarter-final and 2006-07 vs Liverpool in the semi-final.
- Under Diego Simeone, Atlético Madrid are unbeaten in each of their previous two UEFA Champions League games at Stamford Bridge (W1 D1). Their only previous away game at Chelsea in the knockout stages of the competition came back in April 2014, as Atlético eliminated them in the semi-finals with a 3-1 victory in the second leg.
- Atlético Madrid have a 50% progression rate in the European Cup/UEFA Champions League after losing the first leg of knockout ties, progressing from four of eight previous ties in these instances. Among the 72 teams to lose the first leg in at least five knockout ties, only Reims (60%, 3/5) have a higher progression rate in the history of the competition.
- Nine of the last 10 managers to take charge of Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League have won their first home game, with Frank Lampard being the only exception (0-1 v Valencia in September 2019). Tuchel has only lost three of the 16 home games he has overseen as a manager in the UEFA Champions League (W11 D2).
- Atlético Madrid have won just two of their last 10 away UEFA Champions League knockout matches (D2 L6) but both wins were at the last-16 stage – in 2016-17 vs Bayer Leverkusen and 2019-20 vs Liverpool.
