Former England striker Alan Smith thinks it will be tough for Chelsea to overcome Atletico Madrid in the semi-final of the Champions League after the teams were drawn together. Atletico defeated Barcelona this week without star striker Diego Costa to book their place in the last four – the first time they have been in the semi-finals of Europe’s premier tournament in 40 years. The La Liga side have taken Europe and the Spanish league by storm this season, as they chase a fairytale ending to the campaign.
Meanwhile, Chelsea staged a dramatic comeback against Paris Saint Germain to reach the last four with the winners of the Atletico-Chelsea semi-final set to play the might of either Bayern Munich or Real Madrid in the final. And while Smith feels Chelsea will be happy to have avoided the European giants they know Atletico will be no easy task. The draw is no reason to rejoice as Atletico are darkhorses, he told Sky Sports.
They’ve conceded just five goals in the competition this season, they have a strong back four and are tough to break down. They also have one of the best strikers in Europe with Diego Costa, who they got past Barca without.
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