Real Madrid vs. Chelsea: 4 reasons why Madridistas cannot underestimate the Blues

Chelsea are a great defensive team under Thomas Tuchel

Frank Lampard, quite frankly, should have never been hired as Chelsea’s manager. He can be a good manager one day, but just because he is a club legend does not mean that he has the tools to immediately succeed. Credit to the Blues for not sticking with him for too long and for pouncing on the opportunity to hire Thomas Tuchel after his falling out with PSG’s sporting director Leonardo.

Since signing on with the London-based outfit, Tuchel has completely transformed the way the club plays and is set to have his finest results as a manager. He is proving that his reputation is earned, erasing any sour notes left by his departures from Dortmund and PSG.

Tuchel’s tactics have turned Chelsea from a poor defensive side into a legitimately strong one. He is getting more out of the talented attackers than Lampard did, though that aspect of Chelsea’s team remains a work in progress.

Aside from an inexplicably woeful loss to West Brom, the Blues have been rock solid under Tuchel. They have registered a jaw-dropping 13 clean sheets since Tuchel’s first match in late January, and that kind of a defensive performance under Tuchel should worry Madridistas, considering how difficult it is for their team to score goals.

Jurgen Klopp could not out-coach Zinedine Zidane. Very few managers can. But Tuchel is one of the few with the flexibility to do so in a big game.