We can be pleased with a score draw away from home in the knockout stages of the Champions League, according to Petr Cech. Unlike a number of ties in the last 16 of Europe’s top competition this season our match-up with Galatasaray is very much in the balance ahead of the Turkish side’s visit to Stamford Bridge in three weeks’ time.
Having not built up as healthy a lead as we might have in the first half last night, Cech reflected on those missed opportunities but also the action that unfolded closer to his end of the pitch as the game wore on.
‘In the first half we did very well to get the goal and we had more counter-attacks after that so it was a pity we just missed the last pass to score more goals than one,’ our keeper said.
‘You work hard all game defensively then you concede from a set-play which is a pity, but sometimes that’s the way the game goes. After their goal it became more difficult so we had to be ready to defend. We were a little bit out of energy in the last 20 minutes and they were coming back strongly but in a difficult place we got a draw with a goal scored away from home – which in this tie could be important – so we can be happy with that.
‘We got a result that is okay but the tie is still open. A 1-0 score would have been the better result but we are in a good position. We must make sure in the home game we play well again and we score the goals we need.’
Cech came face to face with a man who was for much of his career a crucial ally, so it was with extra pleasure he was able to report on a strong defensive performance that countered the considerable threat posed by our former talisman Didier Drogba.
‘It’s been a very long time since we played against each other in the French league,’ Cech recalled.
‘For eight years he was on my side and then suddenly you have to make sure he doesn’t score. That’s always a difficult task but we didn’t allow him to have any chances and we defended well.’