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Atletico Madrid travel to Stamford Bridge to take on Chelsea tonight in the Champions League, with the tie finely balanced.
Last week, the teams drew 0-0 at the Vicente Calderon, with Chelsea putting in a fine defensive display, although they did lose key players Petr Cech and John Terry to injury.
The winner of tonight's return leg will take on Real Madrid, who defeated Bayern Munich 4-0 last night at the Allianz Arena, completing a 5-0 aggregate triumph over the Germans, the current holders of Europe's elite competition.
So here, we take a look at 10 of the main talking points surrounding tonight's match.
Check out our guide below...
10 talking points for Chelsea v Atletico MadridShow all 10 1 /1010 talking points for Chelsea v Atletico Madrid 10 talking points for Chelsea v Atletico Madrid The return of Eden Hazard Just days after winning the PFA Young Player of the Year award, Eden Hazard is expected to return to Chelsea’s starting line-up having missed last weekend’s 2-0 win over Liverpool with a calf injury. The 23-year-old has been Chelsea’s top goalscorer this season (16) and gives the Blues an attacking style of football difficult to keep up with. Striker Samuel Eto’o is Chelsea’s second highest goal scorer with 12 this campaign
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10 talking points for Chelsea v Atletico Madrid Thibait Courtois plays in front of his 'home' fans Thibaut Courtois, a 6ft 6in goalkeeper is to make a return to his parent club on Wednesday and will undoubtedly be under pressure to impress. Despite having joined Chelsea in July 2011, Courtois has yet to play at Stamford Bridge as he was quickly loaned to Atletico Madrid only weeks after his initial signing. With Cech’s status for Chelsea up in the air at the moment, fans will no doubt look closely to see if Courtois should return to Stamford Bridge on a more permanent basis
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10 talking points for Chelsea v Atletico Madrid Chelsea are not invincible at home Chelsea have shown this season that they are no longer unbeatable at home. With losses to Basle in the Champions League as well as Sunderland less than two weeks ago, Chelsea will be hard pushed against a Spanish side with a stellar away record. The Blues once boasted an undefeated record at home in the premier league that started in February 2004 and ended in October 2008. Chelsea’s 2-1 loss to Sunderland earlier this month saw Mourinho’s 77-game unbeaten streak in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge finish
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10 talking points for Chelsea v Atletico Madrid Mourinho is the master tactician Despite Chelsea’s occasionally scrappy tactics, the key to their success is their reputation for winning when it matters. Over the last few weeks, Chelsea have played at times defensively, a style criticised by Liverpool Brenden Rogers after his side lost 2-0 to the Blues at the weekend. Despite this, Chelsea often find a way to win. They also have a coach in Jose Mourinho who has won seven domestic league titles, two Champions League cups and has not gone a single calendar year without winning at least one trophy
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10 talking points for Chelsea v Atletico Madrid Atletico on new ground Despite emerging as the top team in Spanish football this season, Champions League experience will not be something Atletico Madrid can count on. The tie with Chelsea will be Atletico’s first Champions League semi-final since 1974. The Blues however will be playing in their seventh Champions League last four tie in the last 11 campaigns, as well as Mourinho’s fourth consecutive semi-final
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10 talking points for Chelsea v Atletico Madrid Spanish clubs playing in England Since 2003, Chelsea have become a consistent presence in the last four of cup competitions. Over the last 10 years, in all competitions including the FA Cup, the League Cup, the Community Shield, the Champions League and Europa League, Chelsea have reached 24 semi-finals. Out of those 24 appearances, the Blues have only missed out on a final, eight times and won 10 competitions
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10 talking points for Chelsea v Atletico Madrid Chelsea's record semi-finals Since 2003, Chelsea have become a consistent presence in the last four of cup competitions. Over the last 10 years, in all competitions including the FA Cup, the League Cup, the Community Shield, the Champions League and Europa League, Chelsea have reached 24 semi-finals. Out of those 24 appearances, the Blues have only missed out on a final, eight times and won 10 competitions
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10 talking points for Chelsea v Atletico Madrid The Diego Simeone effect Although Chelsea have experience on their side, Atletico Madrid have form. The Spanish side have been a dominating force in European football this season, both in the Champions League and La Liga. Diego Simeone’s side have become the only team to remain unbeaten in Europe this season and are two wins away from claiming their first domestic league title since 1996, a trophy that has only been held by either Barcelona or Real Madrid for the last 10 years. For a team that has always lived in the shadow of it’s much bigger cross town rival, Atletico will no doubt have a point to prove that they are an emerging force to be reckoned with
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10 talking points for Chelsea v Atletico Madrid Chelsea's attacking options For a team that has been much criticised for its strikers’ lack of production, Chelsea do have several options to turn to should they find themselves needing goals quickly. Demba Ba, not often fielded this season has scored three times in Chelsea’s last five matches. Torres will face one of his previous clubs for the third time in a week, yet has only scored nine times in all competitions this season. Samuel Eto’o will also return to the Chelsea squad this week after being out with a knee injury. The Cameroon international brings experience to the squad, having won two Champions League titles with two separate teams
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10 talking points for Chelsea v Atletico Madrid Atletico's excellent European away record Despite Chelsea’s often impressive form at Stamford Bridge, their opponents will have as much confidence going into the tie as they do. Atletico Madrid not only remain undefeated in Europe this season but they have also won three out of five away games with a goal difference of five. Atletico’s domestic form away from the Vicente Calderon has also been stellar this season, winning 13 of 17 and losing only three times since the start of this campaign. Despite this, Chelsea will have history on their side as they have yet to lose a European semi-final leg at home
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