Atlético and Chelsea prepare to entertain

Club Atlético de Madrid overwhelmed Chelsea FC 4-1 when the teams last met in the 2012 UEFA Super Cup, but this semi-final will be decided by slender margins, hinted midfielder Tiago, who acknowledged the Blues as a "really tough side" with a "great coach".

Tiago, Atlético midfielder
We had no preference prior to the draw. [Chelsea] are a great team and have a great coach. They are used to playing in finals and winning trophies. It will be difficult, but we are hopeful of reaching the final. Chelsea will be favourites. We have drawn a really tough side.

In the other semi-final [Real Madrid CF v FC Bayern München], I have no idea who might get through. That will be one of those great games that you like to sit down and watch on TV. Looking back on the [FC Barcelona] quarter-final now that the dust has settled, we played a great game. We did what we hoped to do in starting strongly and scoring early. We transformed ourselves that night and it was us who looked like the big team.

José Luis Caminero, Atlético sporting director
[Chelsea] are a great team. We will try to adjust and to [cope with their style]. We want to get to that dreamed-of final, for the club and for the fans.

Enrique Cerezo, Atlético president
We're going to face a great team. This semi-final won't be at all easy; I rate our chances of progressing at 50-50. We will see a spectacular tie in which both teams will battle until the very end.

Ron Gourlay, Chelsea chief executive
There are no easy draws at this stage and looking around at the teams in the room for the draw today, it was always going to be very difficult. The important thing was getting ourselves into the semi-final, continuing the evolution of the football club and then taking whoever comes out of the hat.

Atlético are a fantastic side but so are the other teams who are in the last four so it's set up for two fantastic games. I am sure José Mourinho will make sure we are totally prepared and ready for these games when they come around, but there are important games to take care of before that.

If someone said to me at the start of the season that, with five weeks to go, we are still in the Champions League semi-final and in the shake-up for the Premier League, I would have taken that. This is what we work for all season.