Lampard’s Chelsea left with mountain to climb after Bayern thrashing
Frank Lampard has challenged Chelsea's players to restore some European pride after a brutal lesson from Bayern Munich.
Bundesliga champions Bayern took a giant step towards the quarter-finals of the Champions League with Tuesday’s resounding 3-0 success at Stamford Bridge, in a match that saw Marcos Alonso receive a second-half red card.
A second-half brace from former Arsenal youngster Serge Gnabry, followed by Robert Lewandowski’s 39th goal of the season, did the damage as the Blues were comprehensively outclassed in the first leg of the last-16 tie.
Former Derby County boss Lampard has admitted his players face a huge task to mount a comeback but has urged them to leave the Allianz Arena on March 10 with their heads held high as they look to continue their development under his tenure.
“We have to go to Munich and play with a lot of pride to see what we can do there,” he said. “(Tuesday) was just a clear show that there’s a lot of work to be done, and I felt that when I took the job, I feel that today. I will keep working.
“It’s pretty clear that we are in a very bad position going into the second leg, so it’s a show of character to see what we can do.”
London still red.. #FCB pic.twitter.com/3108THrtzv
— Serge Gnabry (@SergeGnabry) February 25, 2020
The Blues switch their focus back to securing a top-four finish this season on Saturday when they make a return to Premier League action.
Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth provide the opposition, with the struggling Cherries looking to do the double over Chelsea after a shock win at Stamford Bridge earlier this season.
The Blues will be looking for a bit of revenge against the south-coast outfit before they go up against Premier League frontrunners Liverpool in the FA Cup fifth round on Tuesday.
