A statistical look at Chelsea’s next Champions League fixture.
Chelsea’s forthcoming European fixture is conceivably the most testing challenge that Antonio Conte’s side are likely to face in the Champions League group stage.
Atletico Madrid is an accomplished outfit on the international stage, and they flaunt some of the greatest talents in world football.
This abundance of talent is enhanced and nurtured by the shrewd leadership of manager Diego Simeone. The Argentine has been Atleti’s manager since 2011, and during that time, he has managed 326 games, winning 203 of those. Accordingly, he’s widely considered as one of the most skilled managers in football.
Under Simeone’s cultivated guidance, the Red and Whites have amassed five major honours – their most notable achievement was their astonishing La Liga success in the 2013-14 season.
They’ve also come mightily close to lifting the most coveted trophy in club football, having lost the Champions League final on two separate occasions in the 2013-14 season and the 2015-16 campaign – losing both games to their fierce rivals Real Madrid.
In addition to this wealth of success during the Simeone years, Atletico has never lost to Chelsea under the Argentine’s leadership. In fact, they’ve only lost one of the five fixtures that have been between the two clubs, a 4-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge in 2009.
Since that heavy defeat, the side from the Spanish Capital have registered two victories, and two draws – the most famous of which was their 3-1 triumph at Stamford Bridge in the semi-final of the Champions League in 2013-14.
Nonetheless, as many of you will dread to recall – apologies for the reminder – we endured a thumping 4-1 defeat in the UEFA Super Cup final in the 2012/13 season, where former Chelsea and Atletico striker, Radamel Falcao, scored a tremendous hat-rick.
With only a single victory to our name against Atletico, we’ll be eager to attain some invaluable momentum against the Spanish team on Wednesday night. There’s a strong history of players that have championed the colours of both teams, such as Tiago, Torres, Costa, Luis, and Courtois (to name just a few).
It will be exceedingly intriguing to witness how proceedings will unveil tomorrow.
Let us know your thoughts!
