[ 2011-04-04 ]

Ancelotti looking at Europe after latest result
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti is targeting the
Champions League after his side's slim chances of
defending their domestic title virtually
disappeared.

An entertaining 1-1 draw at Stoke left the Blues
11 points behind Barclays Premier League leaders
Manchester United and even with a match in hand
that appears too big a gap to close. However,
Chelsea face United in the quarter-finals of
Europe's premier club competition on Wednesday
with Ancelotti admitting that now represents their
best chance of silverware.

The Italian said: "Everyone is waiting for this
game. We want to do our best and want to show our
best ability and we know there are 180 minutes to
play and we hope to win. In the title race we have
to close the gap, in the Champions League we are
at the same level of the other teams so we have
more chance to win."

He added: "It will not be a surprise to play
against them, they know us very well and we know
them very well.

"We have to play our football and I think we will
do better.

"We will have a very exciting game against United,
they are one of the best teams in Europe. It was
important (at Stoke) to see the team in good
condition and without injury so we can prepare
well for this next game."

While Ancelotti may have stressed he was happy
with the performance if not the result against the
Potters, had it not been for the returning Didier
Drogba the visitors would have had little to show
for their efforts.

The Ivory Coast international scored Chelsea's
equaliser with a trademark power header in the
33rd minute to cancel out Jon Walters' early
individual breakaway goal from the halfway line.

In the second half he also hit the post and the
crossbar and was easily the Stamford Bridge side's
most threatening player - even after the
61st-minute introduction of £50million January
signing Fernando Torres.

The Spain international has now gone 662 minutes
without scoring for club or country, a spell of 10
matches spanning back to late January when he hit
two for former club Liverpool. Drogba seems
certain to start against United at Stamford Bridge
in midweek while Torres could well be on the bench
again.

Source - Footballfc

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