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Hugo Lloris has heaped praise on Chelsea following Tottenham Hotspur's defeat in the first leg of the EFL Cup semi-final, labeling them 'one of the greatest teams in Europe'. The Tottenham captain was not happy with his side's performance and urged his players to put in a much-improved display in the second leg.
Chelsea experimented with a 4-2-3-1 formation against Spurs, and managed to win 2-0 thanks to a goal from Kai Havertz early in the game, followed by an own goal.
Lloris was talking to Spurs TV when he heaped praise on Chelsea. He was not happy with his side's first-half display but admitted they 'showed a good face' in the second. He said:
"The first half was the image of the lack of aggressiveness but in the second half we showed a good face – a lot of commitment from all the players. We took more risks, we created some good actions and at the end, it's 2-0 down and there's still one game to play. We have to believe because in football anything can happen. With energy, with belief, with the help of our crowd, hopefully we're going to deliver a great night.
"After that game, there were some disappointments and also some regrets. The way we started the game is a bit frustrating. Because you are playing a semi-final. At least if you cannot play good football, you have to be ready to fight, compete and be more aggressive than the opponent. You know when there's a lack of aggressiveness on the pitch, at some moment in the game you're going to pay for it.
"Unfortunately, it cost us the two goals. We cannot forget that in front of us is one of the greatest teams in Europe. They won the Champions League last season and they're much in advance of us in terms of process. If we want to grow as a team we need to learn from that type of performance."
Chelsea take 2-0 lead to Tottenham Hotspur stadium
Chelsea's 2-0 win last night sees them heading into the second leg at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium with a safe-looking lead. Antonio Conte's side will have to score at least two goals to stand a chance of making it to the EFL Cup final.
