Thomas Tuchel says Chelsea “feel good” about playing Premier League rivals Manchester City in the Champions League final after beating them last month.
Tuchel’s side set up a Champions League showdown with City on May 29 in Istanbul with a 2-0 win over Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night, going through 3-1 on aggregate.
It’s the second all-English Champions League final in three years, and while Tuchel says April’s FA Cup semi-final win over Pep Guardiola’s side doesn’t give them an upper hand, it does make them confident of a repeat performance.
“No [it doesn’t give us] the upper hand, but it gives us a good feeling, it gives us confidence. We played the semi on the edge. They are the benchmark and we wanted to close the gap to Man City. We will need the same level of performance again. It gave us belief, because it is the highest level you can face.
“We will arrive with self confidence and the positive energy in Istanbul, and we will arrive in Istanbul to win, not to be one of the participants. We arrive with a clear focus to win.”
Tuchel was full of praise for the way his side stayed positive during Wednesday’s clash, having missed nearly half-a-dozen find chances to double their lead after Timo Werner’s opener. The second goal eventually came late on through Mason Mount.
