helsea FC’s new loan signing, João Félix, is confident that the Blues have what it takes to shock the European football scene by winning this season’s Champions League.
The London side is set to face Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of their last-16 tie on Wednesday, and Félix is eager to make an impact following his return from suspension in Saturday’s 1-1 draw against West Ham.
Félix opened the scoring for Chelsea at London Stadium, but the home side was unable to maintain their momentum and generated no further chances in the second half after Emerson Palmieri equalized for the visitors.
The Portuguese forward is joined in the Chelsea squad for the knockout stage of the Champions League by January signings Enzo Fernández and Mykhailo Mudryk.
With the Champions League representing their final chance to secure silverware this season, Félix believes that the Blues have what it takes to make a deep run in the competition. He said: “We’re now focused on the next game, which is always the most important. It’s the Champions League, and that’s the competition we want to win.”
Manager Graham Potter is likely to build his team around Félix, who he described as the “best player on the pitch” despite his red card in his debut against Fulham last month. Félix, who struggled in Spain following his £113 million move to Atletico Madrid in 2019, says that he feels at home in London and is happy to be back on the pitch after serving a three-game ban.
He said: “The one month of stopping was difficult. I just want to play, and I’m happy to have scored my first goal with the club. It gives me great joy. Playing in this team with the quality we have is easy, as we can all connect well. When that happens, the team performs well.”
On the challenge of facing Dortmund, Potter said: “We can beat Dortmund, but they are also a strong side with the capability to get a result. We have to approach this match with humility, respect, and aim to secure a result. It’s a fantastic opportunity, and we have to see it that way. It’s a tough match against a high-quality opponent, but our team has some great players, and they’re confident, hard-working, and respectful. They believe in themselves and know that they have to earn the right to win. We’ll go to Dortmund with that mindset.”