Timo Werner was something of a surprise selection for Chelsea against Real Madrid, despite having scored against Southampton at the weekend.
The German forward has just looked so low on confidence at times that trusting him in a game this big week didn’t sound like a good idea.
But Thomas Tuchel did it, and it paid off handsomely.
The forward got a goal and an assist as the Blues beat Madrid 3-2, and many fans were saying the moment that killed Chelsea’s hopes was when Tuchel decided to take off Werner and replace him with Christian Pulisic – another player who seems low on confidence, and ended up missing two decent chances to seal the tie for good.
Ultimately though, Tuchel’s decision to play Werner was a good one, part of a tactical and strategic masterclass from the Chelsea manager, who is making a habit of it that kind of thing in this competition.