Chelsea ´ready for anyone´ in Champions League semi-finals – Mount

Mason Mount declared Chelsea are “ready for anyone” and confident they will beat Real Madrid or Liverpool in their first Champions League semi-final for seven years.

Mehdi Taremi’s spectacular stoppage-time volley snatched a 1-0 victory for Porto in the quarter-final second leg on Tuesday, but Chelsea progressed 2-1 on aggregate at Estadio Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan.

Thomas Tuchel’s well-drilled Chelsea were untroubled until Taremi found the back of the net with a sublime acrobatic strike, which was only Porto’s second shot on target in a drab encounter in Seville.

Chelsea have now reached the last four of the Champions League eight times, more than any other English team.

Chelsea have reached their 8th Champions League semi-final, more than any other English side #UCL

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 13, 2021

Mount, who scored in the first leg at the same venue last week, said the London club are not finished yet as they eye two trophies – with an FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City to come on Saturday.

Asked who he would like to play Madrid or Liverpool at the semi-final stage, Mount told BT Sport:  “We are ready for fight and battle. we get to sit down, watch and analyse it [the second leg at Anfield on Wednesday]  

“The best team will go through and we will be ready for anyone.”

The England midfielder added: “We’re buzzing. We’re in a good position, we know we’re playing well. The focus in every game is 100 per cent.

“We’re going into each game with confidence that we’re going to win. We’ve got a big end to the season.”

Chelsea’s second-leg defeat was their first in the Champions League this season and just a second in 18 games in all competitions under Tuchel, who replaced Frank Lampard in January.