Champions League Second Round: We fear No Foe – Hazard
Eden Hazard says Chelsea do not fear facing Paris St Germain or Barcelona in the Champions League last 16 after his side were held to a draw by Atletico Madrid and missed out on top spot in their group.
As it stands, Turkish side Besiktas are the only other possible opponents for the Blues in the knockout stages.
“It’s not a problem who we get, we are Chelsea,” said the attacker.
“We know PSG and Barcelona are very good but we are a top team too. We can do anything.”
Chelsea had dominated against Atletico until the opening goal, with Alvaro Morata going close and Hazard almost weaving through the visiting defence.
But Saul Niguez escaped the attentions of Tiemoue Bakayoko to plant home a header from Fernando Torres’ near-post flick-on after 56 minutes.
Chelsea piled forward as time ebbed away, and Stefan Savic turned Eden Hazard’s cross into his own net as the pressure told.
But, with Roma beating Qarabag in the Italian capital, Chelsea could not find the second goal and the victory needed to regain the lead in Group C.
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte claimed afterwards that whoever his team draw “won’t be happy to play us”.
Spartak Moscow or Sevilla may yet become possible opponents if Wednesday evening’s matches change the standings in Group E, where Liverpool currently lead the way.
But the unsettling prospect of taking on either free-spending PSG or five-time champions Barcelona over two legs hung over Stamford Bridge at the final whistle.
Chelsea had plenty of chances to leap-frog back over Roma in the group with Morata and substitutes Willian and Michy Batshuayi all missing glorious chances in a frenetic final 15 minutes.
Against Besiktas, whose last taste of Champions League knockout football was in the 1992-93 season, such attacking invention should be enough.
Whether it would undo one of the continent’s superpowers is far less clear.
“When you play this competition and go through, you must be ready to face the best teams. We know we can play those three,” said a defiant Conte.
The Italian even suggested that English teams are stronger, relative to overseas opposition, earlier in the tournament before a busy fixture list and lack of a winter break take effect.
“When you arrive at the final stage English teams have a lot of games in the legs. It makes it problematic to win,” he added.
