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CHELSEA FC: REACTION: IT WAS CLEVER FOOTBALL

/noticias.info/ Avram Grant was expecting a tough game on Wednesday evening. The fact it wasn't shows how well Chelsea have recovered from recent difficulties.

'I am happy we are in the next round and it was good football,' said Grant.

'Olympiacos are a dangerous team and I am very happy. The team played very mature, we held the ball most of the time, and we were patient and quick when we needed.

'I was happy because for me it was clever football,' he added.

Today's game saw the return of Carlo Cudicini between the Chelsea posts, who put in a fantastic performance, making an extremely acrobatic save in the second-half to secure a clean sheet. It was a selection made necessary by more misfortune for Petr Cech.

'Petr injured his ankle in training yesterday, I hope it will not take long but we will see tomorrow,' clarified the Isreali.

'Any keeper who has played this year has been very good. Hilario was there when we needed him but Carlo was there today and he is a very good keeper. For two or three weeks we haven't had any injured players so we are not used to it.

Cudicini's clean sheet means the Blues have played for over 10 hours in the European competition without conceding a goal, something Grant feels he can explain.

'When you hold the ball there are two ways to defend. First we defended well, but all the games that we didn't concede a goal we held the ball for over 60 per cent of the time, and this is the best defending.

'If we continue like this and we keep a clean sheet then anything can happen.'

Our next game in the Champions League could once again see us facing an English team, but Grant feels that no matter who we face, it will be a difficult game.

'Any team that will be in the next round will be a tough team, we came from a tough group, two from our group are in the quarter-finals, Schalke and us, so any game will be difficult.

'I don't see how any team that comes to the quarter-final can not be a good team.'

Finally Grant was keen to convey his satisfaction with the way we have progressed over the last few months, despite injury woes and a high frequency of games, and now the manager believes the team can only get stronger from here.

'I am very confident about my team; from day one I was with the team I had full confidence.

'So far it is good and also there has been good development which pleases me more than the results.' notas_de_prensa_archivo