:lol: What is "real football" We're trying to get to the final of the Champions League. 0-0 in Madrid means we might yet do so.
Our most creative player (Hazard) was injured. So was our most in-form goal-scorer (Eto'o). Our most penetrative full-back (Ivanovic) was suspended. In addition to this, we lost our first-choice goalkeeper after 18 minutes, and our captain and central defender after 70.
Meanwhile, we found ourselves playing away from home against the best team in Spain, who have, by way of attacking options, Diego Costa and Raul Garcia and who, when that doesn't work, can call on David Villa as a sub. It seems to me entirely reasonable in these circumstances (and not forgetting that this is a tie designed to take place over at least 180 minutes, with a further serving at Stamford Bridge still to come) to send out a team to stifle the obvious threat.
We left with the honour of having achieved something that only Real Madrid and Barcelona have managed this season: a clean sheet against Atletico Madrid.
You'd have a point about what an 'honour' it is if it weren't one leg of a two leg tie, and that it then earnt you a league point. It hasn't. Despite all the injuries you braved in the first leg and etc, the fact is Chelsea go into the second leg a little disadvantaged, despite being at home.
You'd have a much better argument however if you still managed to nab an away goal that you can now just sit back and defend at home, while not really calling on that supposed stifled attacked. But that would have been okay, because again, you have an away goal.
Of course, your ability to make the champions league final from here is still very possible, but IMO it's even more possible for Atletico. You speak about the great attacking options they have, and if you now put that up against your weakened attack at the Bridge, we know who is more likely to score. Not only that, Atletico have a very formidable defence at least on par with yours.
All I'm trying to say is that getting a 0-0 result in the away leg is not a 'win', no matter how Chelsea fans and Mourinho will try to spin it. All it does is leave open two ways for Ateltico's stronger attack to win the tie, while it only leaves one avenue for Chelsea, apart from going to penalties.
