Thomas Tuchel reserved special praise for Karim Benzema ahead of tonight’s Champions League quarter-final showdown with Real Madrid.
The France striker is precisely the player Chelsea have lacked during his 15 months in charge at Stamford Bridge. He is the ultimate No9 — outlasting even Cristiano Ronaldo at the Bernabeu — and the most immediate threat to Tuchel’s hopes of retaining his European crown.