Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho suggested that the lack of cutting edge from the team was responsible for the 1-1 draw with Galatasaray in the first level of the Champions League last 16 match between the two clubs. Chelsea made the trip to Turkey in order to face the Turkish champions. There are facing the uphill task of being the only English representative in the quarterfinals, as the likes of Manchester city, Arsenal, and Manchester United on suffered 2-0 defeats in their first legs. Chelsea looked like overturning the poor form of the English clubs after taking an early lead through Fernando Torres.
Chelsea dominated the opening exchanges especially on the counter-attack, but they are unable to extend the lead. The first 30 minutes was full of breathtaking counter-attacks from the Premier league outfit. After the half an hour mark, Galatasaray manager Roberto Mancini made a few changes to the tactical outlook of his team and it made the difference. They got the equaliser in the second half after an error from John Terry and Petr Cech in a set piece. The return leg at Stamford Bridge is scheduled to take place in the next few weeks. Ahead of this encounter, Mourinho says that the tie is extremely even after this result.
“Some other teams have three chances and score three goals. We have five and score one. That’s not a critique of the strikers but it’s the profile of the team we have. We create but when we arrive in the final third of the pitch, the correct pass and right movement is something we don’t have. We are paying for that. In the Premier League we are losing points and in the Champions League we could have had a different result,” said Mourinho.
Chelsea have a London derby against Fulham on the weekend.