Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has been discussing his side’s FA Cup semi-final opponents Chelsea.
Leeds booked their ticket to Wembley on Sunday after beating West Ham United on penalties in their FA Cup quarter-final tie. As for Chelsea, they thrashed Port Vale 7-0 before being handed Farke’s team in the semi-final draw.
Port Vale manager Jon Brady lauded Chelsea after their performance, describing them as “ruthless”. Farke has also been complimentary of the Blues after being drawn against them.
Chelsea draw Leeds in the FA Cup semi-finals!
Joe Cole says it is a "feisty" tie.
Joe Cole looks on during Manchester United FC v Aston Villa FC - Premier League
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Daniel Farke hails Chelsea as ‘big’ club with ‘top players’
Chelsea are not in the best form right now. Before their victory over Port Vale, they were on a run of four consecutive defeats.
Last time out, Liam Rosenior’s men lost 3-0 to Everton in the Premier League. Prior to that, they were beaten by Paris Saint-Germain twice in the Champions League, while there was another defeat to Newcastle United sandwiched in between those two losses.
Nevertheless, Farke still thinks Chelsea are a side with a lot of good players.
Chelsea's Joao Pedro (centre) celebrates scoring
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Speaking to BBC Sport after his team’s win against West Ham, the German said: “We will be the underdog, that’s for sure. It’s a big name and a side full of top players. For that we are the underdog but we have written history.
“Nobody expected us to go through to the semi-final. And of course we are greedy to go to the next step. My focus now is on the Premier League. We are on such a good path and want to make sure we can celebrate there.”
Enzo Fernandez will be hoping to be selected when Chelsea take on Leeds at Wembley. Fernandez was left out of the Port Vale game and will also miss Sunday’s clash versus Manchester City as punishment for flirting with Real Madrid in a couple of recent interviews.
Early Chelsea vs Leeds prediction
Farke has already got the better of Chelsea this season. Leeds beat their rivals 3-1 back in December before drawing 2-2 with them at Stamford Bridge.
If Rosenior’s side do not raise their level, they could easily lose against Farke’s team again. However, while this is a very young Chelsea squad, they do have experience in playing in high-stake games.
Last season, Chelsea reached both the Club World Cup and Conference League finals. On the day, they should have too much for Leeds to cope with, so The Chelsea Chronicle is going to go for a 3-1 win.
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