Chelsea's Bad Luck in Champions League Last 16 Continues With Atletico Madrid Draw

If you want to be the best, you've got to beat the best.

That's the message Chelsea fans have taken into the last 16 of the Champions League every year since 2014, when their outrageous run of tough last-16 opponents began.

Paris Saint-Germain were victorious against the Blues in both 2014/15 and 2015/16. Chelsea didn't qualify for 2016/17 but returned the following season to meet Barcelona. Another year absence was followed by a meeting with eventual champions Bayern Munich last season.

If Chelsea fans thought they might finally get a break after finishing top of the group, they better think again. This time, it's La Liga high-flyers Atletico Madrid who will present Chelsea with their first knockout obstacle of the season.

Sure, there are no easy games at this level, but there's no denying that the likes of Lazio, Atalanta or Porto would have been met with more positivity if it was their names drawn against Chelsea.

It's up to you whether you think Atletico are the biggest fish in a pond which also featured the likes of RB Leipzig, Barcelona and Borussia Monchengladbach. Frank Lampard certainly believes they are, and it's not hard to see why.

Diego Simeone's side are level on points with La Liga leaders Real Sociedad, but with two games in hand. They've conceded just four goals in their 11 league games (two of which came in one match) and were recently four minutes away from beating the same Bayern side to whom Chelsea could not hold a candle last year.

Is it going to be tough? Absolutely. Is it impossible for Chelsea to win? Absolutely not.

When these two sides last met, it was in the 2017/18 group stage, and Antonio Conte's Blues actually went unbeaten. They picked up a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge, but their 2-1 win at the Wanda Metropolitano made Chelsea the first English team to win away at Atletico and handed the Spanish side their first European loss at their new stadium.

That victory proved Chelsea can overcome the odds, but the problem is that it is viewed as one of the greatest tactical masterclasses in recent club history. You know, the kind of thing which doesn't come around too often.

However, if we know one thing about Lampard's Chelsea, it's that you never really know what they're capable of.

The Blues have typically struggled against sides of Atletico's ilk. They don't like facing top teams and they don't enjoy coming up against low-block defences. Unfortunately, they're going to have to face both their fears together with this one.

It means over-the-top balls to the likes of Timo Werner or Christian Pulisic are likely to be as ineffective as possible, so Chelsea may need to rely on the lock-picking creativity of some of their finer technicians.

It's the kind of game which screams for Hakim Ziyech. The Moroccan is known for his wand of a left foot and is capable of unlocking any defence with the right ball, but he's going to need a genuine target with elite movement. Olivier Giroud should be licking his lips.

Fans should also expect to see Mateo Kovacic given the nod in midfield. He's one of Europe's best when it comes to progressing with the ball, and brings the kind of composure which Chelsea will likely need if they are to get anything out of this one.

Unfortunately, Atletico aren't just a defence-first kind of team these days. While Simeone does push for a clean sheet, he's managed to find a way to blend in some exhilarating attacking football, and Atletico are La Liga's second-top scorers behind leaders Sociedad.

Most of their goals come through strike partners Luis Suarez and Joao Felix, and neutralising that duo is the real key to victory here.

Felix in particular has elevated his game to a new level this season. He's the kind of player that would have terrorised Chelsea's old defence and could easily do so to this new-look backline. Assuming they play, Thiago Silva and Kurt Zouma will need to be alert throughout.

It's one of those games in which everything will need to go right for Chelsea if they are to get out alive, but that's what this season is all about for Lampard.

He wants to measure his side against Europe's elite this year, and Atletico is as good a place to start as any.

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