Galatasaray 1 Chelsea 1: Lampard admits mixed feelings after draw
Galatasaray 1 Chelsea 1: Frank Lampard admits his disappointment at the Blues' failure to secure victory
Frank Lampard admitted his disappointment at Chelsea’s failure to secure a precious away advantage in their Champions League last-16 tie after they were held by Galatasaray.
Fernando Torres’s early tap-in gave the Blues a deserved lead in the ninth minute in Istanbul, before Jose Mourinho’s men conceded a sloppy equaliser when Aurelien Chedjou converted from close range.
We were disappointed that we weren’t more than 1-0 up at half time
Frank Lampard
Chelsea host the Turkish side in the return leg at Stamford Bridge on 18 March, and Lampard revealed his mixed feelings after the final whistle.
“It’s half-time, so I wouldn’t want to say it’s a great result,” said Lampard.
“We all know now what a strong team they are. We were disappointed that we weren’t more than 1-0 up at half time. We controlled it and we had about four or five very good counter-attacks.
“They had a big period in the second half and we ended up sitting back a little bit which was disappointing. It’s one of those results you’re kind of happy with but we’ve got a lot of work to do back home.”
Lampard also reserved special praise for Didier Drogba, who faced his former side for the first time since leaving Stamford Bridge in 2012.
“It was brilliant facing Didier,” Lampard continued. “He’s a monster, a great lad and I couldn’t speak highly enough of him.
“It was an honour to play against him and an honour to play with him for so many years.”
