Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel praises "special" Real Madrid ahead of European tie

Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel has described squaring off against Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals as a "special occasion".

For the second season in succession, the two teams meet in the knockout stages of this competition, the Blues prevailing in the semi-finals during 2020-21 before going on to lift the trophy.

However, despite Chelsea being the defending champions, Tuchel has talked up Real's recent stint of three crowns in a row, calling Los Blancos "special opponents" ahead of the first leg at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night.

Speaking to reporters at a press conference, Tuchel said: "They won it three times [in a row] and it's an incredibly hard tournament. They trusted a same squad for a long period of time but it's normal that cycles like this change at some point.

"In terms of a winning streak, reaching the final, maybe this is what happened. But we should be very aware that teams with this kind of quality, flair and experience can produce a special occasion. For us, it's also a special occasion and it's why we feel pretty excited.

"We want to prove a point to ourselves tomorrow. The occasion is special and the opponent is special. That is why we are excited."

While Chelsea head into the game 14 points adrift of Premier League leaders Manchester City, Real are 12 points clear at the top of La Liga.