Moises Caicedo has insisted the Blues will continue to take this season’s Champions League campaign one game at a time, but underlined the importance of picking up three points against Benfica.
The midfielder remains a key figure in Enzo Maresca’s side, having featured in every minute of Premier League and Champions League action this season for Chelsea.
That run continued on Tuesday night as Caicedo anchored our midfield expertly to help the Blues secure a 1-0 victory over the Portuguese giants and register our first points in the league phase.
‘It was a very important win. It was really important for us to win at home,’ reflected Caicedo. ‘I’m really pleased with the team’s performance and for our first three points in the Champions League. I hope we can continue like this.
‘I’m really enjoying my football here. I’m very happy with how I’m doing, but more than anything, I’m happy to be able to help the team in any way that I can.
‘I’m feeling really confident and thankful to God for being here. Like I said, I just want to be able to help my team-mates in any way I can.’
The Ecuadorian international was part of a strong South American contingent in the Chelsea line-up on Tuesday.
He was one of four players from that continent included in the starting XI, alongside Facundo Buonanotte, Alejandro Garnacho and his midfield partner Enzo Fernandez. Brazilian duo Estevao Willian and Joao Pedro later joined them off the bench.
And that connection is something Caicedo believes works to the Blues' advantage, explaining: ‘We have a good relationship on and off the pitch. It helps us on the pitch. I get on really well with Enzo.’
The victory over Benfica put our first points on the board in the Champions League table and ensured we responded to the opening defeat away at Bayern Munich.
However, the 23-year-old knows there is still a long way to go in the league phase, with six more games still remaining from which to secure a spot in the knockout rounds of this season’s competition.
‘The most important thing was to get the three points at home on Tuesday,’ he concluded. ‘There is the expectation at a great club like this that we win trophies. We need to be strong in each match to achieve this.
‘We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves. Of course, we’d like to win the Champions League, but let’s take it step-by-step. We won on Tuesday night and we’ll keep going in the league phase.’