Suarez needs to show bite
Atletico's hopes for Champions League win over Chelsea rest on Uruguay striker's form
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LONDON • Aletico Madrid's hopes of overturning a 1-0 deficit to Chelsea in the away second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie today, may depend on Luis Suarez returning to form on his return to the country where he became one of the best players in the world.
Last season, the La Liga leaders made it to the quarter-finals for the first time in three seasons after upsetting then champions Liverpool, only to suffer a shock exit to RB Leipzig.
If they are to reach the last eight again, Atletico are likely to need Suarez back to his best at Stamford Bridge. The Uruguay striker's form has matched his team's, with a slight downturn in recent weeks perhaps inevitable after such an impressive first half of the season.
Suarez scored 16 goals in his first 21 games while Atletico lost only one of their first 20 in La Liga, when a first La Liga title since 2014 seemed within their grasp.
Yet they have won only three of their last eight games and he has scored only twice in that time, even if those two goals have come in the last three, against Real Madrid and Athletic Bilbao.
Certainly, there can be no room for complacency for Chelsea, who know only too well the damage Suarez can do after his solid four seasons with Liverpool, scoring 82 goals in 133 appearances.
The 34-year-old has history with the Blues too, after one of his three biting incidents happened while playing against them for Liverpool in 2013, with Branislav Ivanovic the victim.
But without fans in the stadium and with a fresh crop of players, the hosts will be focused completely on thwarting his threat while Suarez will be hoping to end his own six-year wait for a Champions League goal away from home.
But it is not just the former Reds and Barcelona star that Thomas Tuchel's men need to be concerned with.
Without the suspended Mason Mount and Jorginho, Chelsea will be robbed of two players who have been key to the German's 12-game unbeaten start in the job since taking over the sacked Frank Lampard in January.
Thiago Silva and Tammy Abraham have also been ruled out because of injury, while Atletico have a clean bill of health, meaning Marcos Llorente will be restored to his preferred central midfield role.
2015
The last time Luis Suarez scored an away Champions League goal, for Barcelona at Roma.
The Spain midfielder, who was forced to play wide to cover for absentees in the "home" first leg in Bucharest, told local daily Marca yesterday his teammates are ready for the big occasion.
"The team is eager, psyched up, aware of the game ahead," he said. "We have played great games this season. We have very clear ideas, we have played big games when things get ugly.
"We have to remember what we did to Liverpool, that we are capable of it. We are sure to go for it all and get the victory."
In the other last-16, second-leg game, title holders Bayern Munich host Lazio, holding a 4-1 advantage.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
CHELSEA V ATLETICO
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