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CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Ballack backs Chelsea to turn tie

/noticias.info/ Chelsea FC left the Sükrü Saraçoglu Stadium last Wednesday with the sound of the Fenerbahçe SK fans ringing in their ears after the Turkish side came from behind to win the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie 2-1. But Michael Ballack is convinced that things will be very different tomorrow at Stamford Bridge.

Home strength
In the first knockout round, Chelsea welcomed Olympiacos CFP having secured a hard-fought 0-0 draw in Greece and eased to a 3-0 second-leg win. Now Ballack, who helped Bayer 04 Leverkusen overcome Liverpool FC and Manchester United FC on the way to the 2002 final, is confident the London club will make it through. "We are every strong at home, we have a good record at home but we have to concentrate over 90 minutes," Ballack said, before admitting his side ought not to have let a half-time lead slip in Istanbul. "It was important we scored but when you see the game we should have won it. We are disappointed but we have a good chance in the second leg."

Support
That improved chance is partly that on Tuesday it will be the Chelsea fans in the ascendance, as opposed to the ear-splitting support for Fenerbahçe last week. "We saw that against Olympiacos as well, south Europeans are very fanatical supporters," Ballack said. "It's the way they follow their team, it's fantastic for them. But we have a good stadium with a nice atmosphere too."

'In our hands'
It could have been different for the Premier League side as at the break in the first leg it seemed that Deivid's own goal had set Chelsea on the way to victory, and their lead could have been every larger. As it was, Fenerbahçe responded to score twice after the interval to go into the return ahead. "It was a strange game," Ballack reflected. "I played well, we fought well, we controlled the game, we went 1-0 up, and it looked like we would win. But sometimes you do not concentrate for one second and it changes the game. That happened. It is disappointing at the moment but we have to look forward and we have everything in our own hands." notas_de_prensa_archivo