Chelsea’s fate in the Champions League still hangs in the balance as they could only manage a draw vs Valencia on Wednesday.
In all fairness, the Spanish side should have won the game with considerable ease but failed to convert some really easy chances which included a missed penalty.
But despite all the attacking prowess, it was Chelsea who were leading the match after Pulisic put them infront in the 50th minute.
But to everyone’s surprise, instead of trying to look for a two-goal advantage, the Stamford Bridge outfit went into a shell which somewhat helped Valencia scored the equaliser.
And now speaking after the match, Mateo Kovacic has revealed that fatigue was one of the main reasons why the Blues went ultra-defensive.
‘It was a difficult game, as always at the Mestalla,’ Kovacic told the club’s official website.
‘We had to work very hard. At the end maybe we dropped a little bit too much, but that’s normal, we were a little bit tired as well. This is the game, sometimes you need to drop. We conceded a stupid goal, but that’s football.
‘In the end, a draw is not bad for us, it’s a good point. We need to improve still a lot, we have time and lots of space too, and we will keep working.
‘It won’t be easy. In the Champions League, there are no easy games, but it’s important it’s in our hands. We need to win at home in front of our fans and I hope we will do it.’
The draw was obviously more helpful for Chelsea rather than Valencia since their final group game in the Champions League will be against Lille – a match they should win comfortably whereas Valencia take on Ajax away from home.
