Local sports

Chelsea can defend Champions League title with Lukaku back – Michael Essien

 

Essien (second right) was part of the group draw for the 2021/2022 UCL season

Ghanaian midfielder Michael Essien has tipped his former side Chelsea to defend the Champions League title they won last year against Manchester City.

The West London side won their second Champions League title last season after beating Manchester City 1-0 in Lisbon with a strike from Kai Havertz.

Essien helped Chelsea lift their first ever title in 2012 when the blues defeated Bayern Munich at their own back yard at the Allianz Arena.

Speaking during the draw which he helped conduct, the former Chelsea icon says his former side have a big squad with very good players and the inclusion of Lukaku can be the difference.

“They have a big squad. Having [Romelu] Lukaku back again, they are well prepared, and hopefully, we can win it [again].” He said on Thursday at the Champions League group stage draw.

The Ghanaian midfielder played for Chelsea from 2005 till 2014 making over 160 appearances for the blues and winning several titles conducted the draw with former teammate Branislav Ivanovic.

Chelsea will  face Juventus, Manchester City will face Messi-inspired PSG, while Bayern Munich come up against Barcelona and Atletico Madrid take on familiar faces Liverpool.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE DRAW IN FULL

Group A: Manchester City (ENG), PSG (FRA), RB Leipzig (GER), Club Brugge (BEL)

Group B: Atletico Madrid (ESP), Liverpool (ENG), FC Porto (POR), AC Milan (ITA)

Group C: Sporting CP (POR), Borussia Dortmund (GER), Ajax (NED), Besiktas (TUR)

Group D: Inter Milan (ITA), Real Madrid (ESP), Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR), Sheriff (MDA)

Group E: Bayern Munich (GER), Barcelona (ESP), Benfica (POR), Dynamo Kyiv (UKR)

Group F: Villarreal (ESP), Manchester United (ENG), Atalanta (ITA), Young Boys (SUI)

Group G: Lille (FRA), Sevilla (ESP), FC Salzburg (AUS), Wolfsburg (GER)

Group H: Chelsea (ENG), Juventus (ITA), Zenit (RUS), Malmo (SWE)

Source: ghanaguardian.com

Ogyem Solomon

Solomon Ogyem – Media Entrepreneur | Journalist | Brand Ambassador Solomon Ogyem is a dynamic Ghanaian journalist and media entrepreneur currently based in South Africa. With a solid foundation in journalism, Solomon is a graduate of the OTEC School of Journalism and Communication Studies in Ghana and Oxbridge Academy in South Africa. He began his career as a reporter at OTEC 102.9 MHz in Kumasi, where he honed his skills in news reporting, community storytelling, and radio broadcasting. His passion for storytelling and dedication to the media industry led him to establish Press MltiMedia Company in South Africa—a growing platform committed to authentic African narratives and multimedia journalism. Solomon is the founder and owner of Thepressradio.com, a news portal focused on delivering credible, timely, and engaging stories across Ghana and Africa. He also owns Press Global Tickets, a service-driven venture in the travel and logistics space, providing reliable ticketing services. He previously owned two notable websites—Ghanaweb.mobi and ShowbizAfrica.net—both of which contributed to entertainment and socio-political discussions within Ghana’s digital space. With a diverse background in media, digital journalism, and business, Solomon Ogyem is dedicated to telling impactful African stories, empowering youth through media, and building cross-continental media partnerships.

Related Articles

Back to top button