Mourinho in Champions League warning

By

Jose Mourinho insists Chelsea should not assume they will face weaker opposition in the knockout stage of the Champions League.

The Blues finishing top of group E means they will be among the top seeds for the draw for the last 16 and will be pitted against a second-placed side.

But with German outfit Bayer Leverkusen among the teams Chelsea could meet, the manager has warned that they can still expect a major test.

Zenit St Petersburg, Olympiakos, AC Milan and former Chelsea star Didier Drogba’s Galatasaray are other potential opponents.

“There are good teams in the second seeds,” he said.

“Sometimes of course we look at the top ones that win groups and you see they’re favourites to win the competition, but in second positions you have difficult teams – you have champions.

“We have the Russian champions, we have the Greek champions. Leverkusen, as a German team, is always difficult. We have the Turkish champions with King Didier and Milan is Milan.”

And Mourinho has played down his team’s chances of regaining the trophy Chelsea won in 2012.

Several members of his squad are relatively inexperienced, while some of Europe’s big guns will be hard to stop.

“There are teams in this moment that have better conditions to win the competition or at least to be looked at as favourites,” Mourinho said.

“Bayern Munich are champions and have the same team [as last season]. Barcelona have the same team. Real Madrid have the same players plus Gareth Bale.

“You have to grow step by step and we have two matches now that are new matches for some of my players, because some have not played in the knockout stage of the Champions League.

“So let’s go for the last 16 and if we win get to the quarter-finals. Then there would be only eight teams left and we can think in a different way.”

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

 

Follow West London Sport on Twitter
Find us on Facebook