THOMAS TUCHEL wrote his name into the Champions League history books and surpassed Zinedine Zidane with the ruthless victory in Lille.
The Chelsea boss saw his side fight back from behind to win 2-1 on the night in France.
Thomas Tuchel secured win No32 in the Champions League at Lille
Zinedine Zidane won three Champions League crowns in three years as Real Madrid boss
Goals from Christian Pulisic and Cesar Azpilicueta either side of the break ensured a safe passage into the quarters for the holders.
And those goals also confirmed Tuchel’s 32nd win as a manager in the competition.
That drew the German equal with compatriot Jupp Heynckes as the coach with the most victories inside his first 50 matches in the competition.
However, Heynckes secured 32 wins from a total of 47 games in charge – winning it in 2013 in his third stint as Bayern Munich boss.
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Tuchel bettered Zidane’s tally of 31 from his opening 50.
The Frenchman took over as Real Madrid boss in January 2016.
Within five months, he lifted Ol’ Big Ears after beating Atletico on penalties at the San Siro.
Just 24 months later, Zidane lifted his third title in a row.
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By comparison, Tuchel reached the final with Paris Saint-Germain in 2020 but lost to Bayern Munich.
He was sacked by the end of that year and then replaced Frank Lampard in the Chelsea dugout in January 2021.
Like Zidane, he wasted no time securing European glory as Kai Havertz got a famous winner against Manchester City last season.
Speaking after the win at Lille, Tuchel said: “It’s so nice so many fans are here to support the team, it feels brilliant.
“The quarter-finals is a big step. We showed resilience and mentality to overcome difficulties.
“We did what was necessary. We dug in and got a deserved win. It’s difficult here.
“We hope and expect to carry on. We want to compete. It took a lot of sacrifice, we fought hard to be in the last eight. We’re excited for the draw.”
Mason Mount set up Cesar Azpilicueta for the winning goal at Lille
Jupp Heynckes managed 32 wins from 47 matches in the Champions Leauge
