Chelsea manager, Thomas Tuchel, has said his side didn’t allow Atletico Madrid “breathe” as they won 1-0 in their Champions League last 16 on Tuesday night.
Olivier Giroud’s stunning overhead kick in the second half proved to be the winner, as the Blues claimed a huge advantage ahead of the second leg.
Tuchel admitted he prepared his team to face a defensive Atletico side.
Speaking to BT Sport, he said: “We knew it [Atletico packing their defence] could happen. We told the guys if it happens maybe it’s our quality and the respect. We wanted to be brave and play in their half.
“We knew they were ready to suffer with eight people in the box. The intention was to keep the intensity high. This is what we did very good. We never let them breathe or come out for counterattacks. We have a big reward with this result.
“This is one of the toughest challenges to open a defence like Atletico.”
