Chelsea ‘can win the Champions League’, says Julen Lopetegui before the clash against Sevilla

Sevilla coach Julen Lopetegui has qualified Chelsea as potential for the Champions League ahead of tonight’s first group stage match at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues got a good look at what it takes to win Europe’s premier club competition when they were eliminated in last season’s round of 16 by eventual winner Bayern Munich, the German team winning 7-1 on aggregate.

However, Frank Lampard’s men start the new European campaign with a significantly strengthened squad, with over £ 200 million in summer spending as players like Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, Ben Chilwell and Hakim Ziyech join their ranks, as well as a great deal of Champions League Experience in Thiago Silva.

And that has led Lopetegui, whose Sevilla is back in the big moment after winning the Europa League for a record sixth time, to increase the pressure.

“We are up against one of the teams that could win the title, in Chelsea, but we want to focus on playing well tomorrow, that’s all we can do,” Lopetegui said.

“I think it is going to be a difficult question. Every game is complicated, but especially in the Champions League against a team like Chelsea.

“Chelsea have bought good players, they have invested a lot of money, they are a great team and a coach who knows the club perfectly.

“They are an extraordinarily strong opposition. Chelsea have fantastic and first-rate players, but they will force us to do our best.

“They have been playing well lately and they will force us to produce our best possible performance across the board. We are going to have to play very well tomorrow ”.