Europa League success will boost Chelsea, insists Oscar

14-Feb-2013 12:50:00 AM

The Brazilian believes his team-mates are just as hopeful of winning the competition as he is and the 21-year-old expects a good result against Sparta Prague on Thursday night

Chelsea's campaign will be greatly boosted if they can be successful in the Europa League, according to midfielder Oscar.

Rafa Benitez's side face Sparta Prague on Thursday night and Oscar is looking forward to the clash, noting it offers a legitmate opportunity to pick up silverware.

The Blues find themselves in Europe's second-tier tournament after being knocked out of a Champions League group consisting of Juventus, Shakhtar Donetsk and FC Nordsjaelland, but the Brazilian insists they are motivated to do well regardless.


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Speaking to Chelsea's official website, he said: "I'm very happy to play in the Europa League for the first time, and I hope we can do really well in the competition.

"The game against Sparta Prague will be tough, but it will be good for us if we can win the competition as it will help improve our season.

"I feel extremely motivated to compete in the Europa League and I'm sure all the other players are as well, and if we do well in the tournament it will make our season so much better."

The 21-year-old bagged four goals in the Champions League group stage, scoring twice against both the Old Lady and Shakhtar, but he still feels playing in European competition is often tougher than domestic football.

He added: "Sometimes it can be more difficult to play in Europe, as you are playing against the very best players, but I like the big games.

"I did well in the Champions League and hopefully I'm doing well in the Premier League, but for now my focus is on helping the team in the Europa League against Sparta Prague.

"They've had a lot of time to prepare for the game and they will be aware of what we are capable of, but we are in the middle of our season and we will be ready to put in a strong performance."

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