By Daily Sports on February 25, 2020

Chelsea head into the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie with Bayern Munich on the back of a morale-boosting win over Tottenham Hotspur.

Meanwhile, the German outfit make the trip to Stamford Bridge having maintained top spot in the Bundesliga with a hard-fought triumph against Pederborn.

Ahead of Saturday's game with Spurs, Frank Lampard was aware that he was beginning to come under some pressure from the club's supporters after four matches without success in the Premier League.

With Bayern, Liverpool and Everton also on the horizon in various competitions, there would have been an acknowledgement that the Blues needed to get back on track as soon as possible.

However, just like they did in the reverse fixture in December, Chelsea outfought and outclassed their London rivals, ultimately prevailing by well-taken goals from Olivier Giroud and Marcos Alonso.

The West Londoners also had to cope with the feeling of injustice after Giovani Lo Celso remarkably survived a call for a red card, but Lampard watched his players come through another test of character at a time when they should have had a comfortable last half-hour.

Perhaps the most significant part of the weekend's derby was the performance of Giroud, who added a different dimension to Chelsea's play after being omitted from the team for much of the campaign.

Bayern have also shown their frailties in defence over recent weeks, conceding seven goals from their last five outings in all competitions.

That said, there are fewer concerns going forward with seven goals being scored during meetings with FC Koln and Pederborn respectively.

The back-to-back triumphs, which have seen Serge Gnabry and Robert Lewandowski contribute five strikes between them, has ensured that Bayern remain at the top of the domestic standings at a time when their rivals struggle for consistency.

However, Hans Flick is aware that there is a demand for further progress in the Champions League after last season’s last-16 exit, which made it six campaigns in a row in which Bayern had failed to reach the final. (Sports Mole)

•PHOTO: Chelsea players 

Source Daily Sports

Posted February 25, 2020

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