Chelsea's Courtois warns against playing for Champions League draw
Though a single point will be enough to guarantee Chelsea's spot in the Champions League knockout stage, star shot-stopper Thibaut Courtois has cautioned his team against playing for the draw.
Chelsea hosts FC Porto at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, with both teams tied on ten points atop Group G. A draw will ensure a berth for the two in the next round of the top-tier continental tournament.
The Belgian international is apprehensive about the perils of playing for a draw, however. Should Chelsea lose and Dynamo Kyiv defeat last-place Maccabi Tel Aviv at the Olimpiyskiy National Sports Complex, the Ukrainian outfit will vault Jose Mourinho's squad for a vital second-place finish.
Group G Standings:
| Club | W-D-L | Pts. |
|---|---|---|
| Chelsea | 3-1-1 | 10 |
| FC Porto | 3-1-1 | 10 |
| Dynamo Kyiv | 2-2-1 | 8 |
| Maccabi Tel Aviv | 0-0-5 | 0 |
"We will play to win," Courtois told reporters Tuesday.
He added, "Every footballer wants to win their games and it will be the same tomorrow. We want to give our fans a victory, because this season we've lost too many games at home and it shouldn't be like that."
Languishing in 14th place in the Premier League table on the heels of the season's low point, a 1-0 loss at home to Bournemouth, Courtois and his teammates are looking to flip the script against Porto.
"All the players have to improve our level. We are a team but sometimes individually we haven't been at our best. If everybody gets to their top level, we will start winning games."
Courtois hopes a win on Wednesday can also help lift Chelsea out of its domestic doldrums.
"Hopefully that will give us a boost ahead of our match against Leicester on Monday. That's another important one and hopefully we can get on a winning streak."