Former Liverpool defender Andrea Dossena has said that he is very much looking forward to the class with Chelsea in the last-16 of the Champions League. Napoli have been rewarded with the excellent group stage run with a tie against 2008 finalist Chelsea.
It is expected to be a major contest, in which no team has the advantage. Even though Chelsea have reached the finals a few seasons ago and have also been dominant domestically, they are undergoing a transitional phase under new manager Andre Villas-Boas. Meanwhile, Napoli are focusing their enter attention towards the Champions League.
Hence, Napoli defender Andrea Dossena has said that he is expecting a very tight contest between the two clubs and that he cannot wait for the match to take place. Napoli were extremely brilliant in the group stages, where they were drawn against Bayern Munich, Manchester City, and Villarreal. However, with some impressive results, Napoli qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League ahead of the likes of Manchester City and Villarreal. Even though the match against Chelsea is never going to be easy, Andrea Dossena has admitted that he is looking forward to it because of the stature of the match.
“I played against Chelsea in the quarter-finals for Liverpool. They’re the most difficult team after the Spanish sides. The draw has already been tough on us. We came here to take part and see what happens. The tie represents a great challenge that will see us up against one of the superpowers of Europe in recent years,” Dossena told UEFA’s official website after the draw. Chelsea have themselves confessed that the draw is particularly tough. The two teams will be meeting each other in February. The first leg will be played at Napoli’s home, while the second leg will be in London at Stamford bridge.