26th November, 2013
John Obi Mikel has charged his teammates at Chelsea to go for outright victory over Basel in tonight’s UEFA Champions League match.
Chelsea travel to Basel for Group E clash knowing a point will see them through to the round of 16. But the Nigerian midfielder believes getting three points out of the match will be better for the Blues.
“There is no doubt that the match against Basel in the Champions League will be tough but we want to come out full of confidence, play well, win, get the three points and, hopefully, we’ll qualify,” said Mikel who has been receiving praises from his manager, Jose Mourinho over his performance in the team of late.
To Mourinho, the pressure will be on the home team. “The pressure is on Basel, not us; we can qualify in this match and Basel, even if they win, still have to play a final match in Gelsenkirchen. So for them the situation is difficult, which shows clearly that after the first match we did our job and they didn’t. But they are a very good team. It is going to be a big match for them,” he said.
In another match involving English Premier League side, Arsenal against Marseille, manager Arsene Wenger says the Gunners won’t underestimate their opponents.
Marseille know they’re out of the competition, but Wenger still rates Elie Baup’s squad.
“They have quality, they are in a better period at the moment because they won their last two games and that makes them a dangerous team to play against,” the Arsenal manager said.
“The quality of our concentration and focus will be vital in this match.”