Ballack Wary Of Olympiacos
Chelsea midfield anchorman Michael Ballack is not convinced that the hardest part is over for the Blues after their 0-0 first leg draw at Olympiacos in the Champions League knockout stage...
The former Bayern man rued the fact that his team were unable to carve out too many chances for that all-important away goal, but feels that home advantage could see the tide turn.
He told UEFA.com, "I expect another very difficult 90 minutes in the second leg as they showed today that they are a good team.
"If one team makes a mistake it could be crucial.
"But we are very strong at home and we will take more risks. I think we will see a more attacking Chelsea when we meet Olympiacos again.
"It's always better when you score an away goal and the tie at the moment is still dangerously balanced."
Accounting for the 0-0 draw in Piraeus, he continued, "The defences and midfields of both teams were very organised so there were not many chances in the game.
"Perhaps if we had taken more risks then maybe we could have created more opportunities, but in the end we finished with a clean sheet which is good for us. You think that this is an easy place to come to but in reality it's not."
The 31-year-old reflected on coach Avram Grant's decision to leave the newly-recovered English international duo of John Terry and Frank Lampard on the bench.
"They have been injured for a long time and it was a big game," he said.
"You have to be careful with injuries – I know because I was out for eight months. When you come back you can't play every game straight away. You need a little rest when you return and I think we have a good enough squad to deal with this."
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